Fang Vice Addiction
by Traingham
Summary: After one fateful night, Negi finds himself entangled in the world of Evangeline McDowell. Immerse yourself in a world of untold passion and growing obsession. Bask in the moonlight, and have yourself a bite to drink. The night is young. Are you addicted?
1. A Trickle of Pleasure

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's character...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter One: One Trickle of Pleasure_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

Evangeline Mcdowell, a vampiress who attended the all female academy of Mahora was not one to be seen as the type to talk to. She was cold, uncaring, and pretty intimidating to most of the girls who attended the same class. Now if most of them actually knew the truth about her then perhaps it would have been even worse, but then again these were the same girls who didn't seem to mind much about having an android for a classmate or even a ten year-old boy for an English teacher. Life was really interesting on the Mahora campus to say the least.

Negi finished writing the pronunciation for a few words on the board before getting down from his stool, and turning back to face his students. He was relieved at the miraculous fact that his class didn't erupt in chaos today yet, and by taking a cursory of the back of the room he could see that his "Master" wasn't paying any mind to him so that was a plus as well. The Mcdowell girl was willing to be his master in the arts of magic as long as he treated her as his actual master, which wasn't exactly his cup of tea. In fact he could even be considered a walking treat for her whenever she was thirsty, and he could never get used to that.

"Erk...tonight she turns in to a vampire." Negi said to himself nervously. The news this morning stated that the scientist were going to do a test on how tonight's full moon would effect the zoo animals, and the report almost slipped his mind. As if on cue Evangeline suddenly turned to face him before licking her lips hungrily. The boy paled in rising panic at the sight her devious smirk, all the while, veering his attention away from her, and back to the English book in his hand.

_-Training with her tonight might not be in my best interest.-_ Negi thought with a trembling nod.

"Teacher!" called Konoka from her seat. Negi snapped out of his thoughts, and forced a smile before acknowledging her. "Are you going to pick someone to read yet?"

"O-oh yeah." he stammered. "A-Asuna, could you read please?"

The red-head flinched upon being called by him to read, and wasted no time in expressing her discomfort. "Stop calling on me already! Why don't you call somebody else instead?" At this mad protest, Ayaka had her hand raised in the air instantly to gain the young teacher's favor, but a voice called out that rarely fell upon the ears, getting everyone's attention.

"I will read." Chachamaru suddenly offered from the back of the classroom. The robot looked in to the book and read, "Richard and Maya went out for a bite the other night. Richard was a gentlemen, and allowed Maya to choose where she wanted to dine at."

"V-very good, Chachamaru." Negi praised the robot over the enthusiastic cheers of the other girls. Now he knew something was up if she of all people decided to participate in his class. She wouldn't speak unless Evangeline wanted her to. He stole a quick glance at the vampiress before sweat dropping at the sight of her evil smirk. He definitely didn't think meeting with her tonight for their usual session was a good idea, not with all the signs he was getting from her today. When the bell mercifully rang he heaved a long held sigh of relief.

"Okay, I'll see all of you tomorrow." The girls were already up, and packed to leave with the exception of the library pair who approached his desk to speak with him.

"Are you holding another study session after school, Negi-kun?" Yue asked in her usual dull tone of voice, a light blush blossoming on her face as she did. Nodoka naturally stood behind her shyly awaiting for his answer. It wasn't until after looking over their shoulders to confirm the departure of the terror pair that he answered with a yes.

* * *

**_ [Turning to Evangeline, and Chachamaru... ]_**

The vampiress walked down the stair steps of the school with her loyal gynoid companion following closely behind. She took immense pleasure in tormenting the young Negi Springfield, as it was one of the only forms of amusement left to her in this world given her unfortunate circumstances, and she was sure that the boy knew what would happen tonight when the full moon rises in the evening sky. Her vampiric side would be fully awakened and her thirst for sweet blood would come down on her all at once. Being that she promised she wouldn't prey on any of the fellow girls on campus after her last real confrontation with the young magister, the tiny vampire had to resort to preserved blood in plastic packets from the hospital, with the occasional helping from Negi himself.

"I'm sure we have his attention now." She said with a devious smirk. "Knowing that scared little boy, he probably won't be planning on coming to meet with me tonight, but that's just fine with me. I like it when he runs."

"Should I escort him then?" Chachamaru asked, standing patiently for a response from her mistress, which she took some time in providing before answering with a slow shake of her head. It wouldn't look well on her part to send a servant to seek out another. If she wanted to make a point then she would have to meet him herself. Besides, even if she herself refused to admit it, she held more respect for the boy than she outwardly expressed, something that had much to do with the fact that her one and only unrequited love happened to have been his father. She really wouldn't have minded if he started to show a little more qualities similar to his old man, though.

"I'll do it myself." Mcdowell replied, crossing her arms as she looked back at the school. "He scheduled some after school tutoring, so he'll be walking home alone tonight."

For a moment hesitation etched itself across Chachamaru's normally stoic features, lost on Evangeline since she her focus had remained on the school as it happened. "Permission to speak, mistress?" She addressed her master's attention humbly with the usual bow. Evangeline tore her gaze away from the school with reluctance, making it appear as though it annoyed her to do so.

"Go ahead." The vampiress responded, somewhat, curtly.

"You intend to duel with him again?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You do not wish for my assistance?"

"I can confront the boy alone if I want."

"...Negi-sensei is starting to become much like his father, mistress." Chachamaru said after a purposeful pause.

"That's what I'm counting on." The dark little girl retorted, uncrossing her arms. "However, I'm not going to duel with my own apprentice. All I want is for him to take me out for a nice satisfying drink." Chachamaru nodded with an "affirmative", and left for the dorm building. Evangeline watched the android curiously as she walked away, raising an eyebrow in mild interest.

"She's asking a lot of questions today."

* * *

"Hey, Asuna?" Konoka called to her roommate. The red-head turned to face her friend quickly, causing the bells in her hair to jingle lightly. The twins, who were walking nearby in the background, narrowly escaped injury from a stack of books that unexpectedly fell over in their direction.

"Um...What's up?" Asuna asked awkwardly.

"Didn't Negi-sensei seem a little uptight in class today? Kind of like he was expecting something bad to happen today."

"I wasn't really paying attention to him most of the time." Was Asuna's answer, eliciting a soft sigh from Konoka Konoe. Sometimes she couldn't help but feel annoyed by her close friend's inability to squeeze out enough attention to focus on anything other than Takahata-sensei.

"See? This is exactly why you're so terrible in school, Asuna."

"N-not true!" Asuna cried out, blushing in embarrassment at the undeniably accurate statement. "I'm really good in P.E!" Both girls could swear that they heard the class president's sinister laughter in the distance at that very moment. It was very apparent to them that Ayaka somehow heard that outburst, wherever she was at the moment.

"...Anyway I saw little Negi sweating bullets in the class earlier. Maybe he was having some problems."

"I could care less!" Asuna exclaimed irritably. "I have other things to worry about that doesn't concern that annoying little brat. I still haven't started on that history report yet so the last thing I need is to deal with more trouble."

"You know that it's due tomorrow right?"

"I know, I know." Asuna said with a panicked nod that caused the bells in her hair to jingle yet again. Setsuna who was undercover to watch Konoka didn't have enough time to dodge the stack of books near her that Ako mistakenly bumped in to. Both conversing girls heard the sudden commotion, but shrugged their shoulders anyway.

"What were we talking about earlier?"

"I forgot."

* * *

Negi packed his lesson planner along with other things in to his messenger bag and looked out the faculty room window before his eyes widened in horror. It was already getting quite dark outside, and he still had a long way to go from here to the girl's dorm building way across the campus grounds. Someone flickered the lights on and off, getting the young magister to whip his head in the direction of the door where he saw Takamichi standing with his hand on the light switch.

"You're here a little late Negi." Takamichi said with a gentle smile.

"Yeah...I held another after school tutoring for my students so they could get a little more understanding on the current chapter." Negi replied with a nervous chuckle. He seriously hoped this exchange wasn't going to hold him up too long because time was very precious right now.

"That's great to hear." said the elder teacher. "So is this helping the girls out much?"

"Th-they're improving."

"And how about Mcdowell? Is she behaving well in your class?" Negi paused for a moment at the thought of his master's stoic face. Slowly a grin crossed her lips before she licked them and bared her fangs at him all predatory-like. The thought bubble over his head popped and he answered quickly, "She doesn't misbehave."

"I see." Takamichi said unconvincingly, his spectacles capturing the reflection of the full moon as if to remind the young man of the possible danger he was facing by remaining in the school any longer. Negi saw it and grabbed his staff before politely excusing himself from the conversation with a farewell. As soon as he got out of the faculty room he ran through the halls as though his life depended on it. Shizuna came around the corner and offered him a cheerful wave, but Negi was in such a rush that he simply ran past her in a blur without returning the kind gesture. When he finally got to the exit way out of the school he opened the door slowly, and peered outside to make sure that the coast was clear.

"I can do this." Negi said to himself in a desperate attempt to gather the courage to step out to face what may or may not have been awaiting him. "I can do it!" With those words he sprinted out like a startled fox, jumped from the top stair step with his staff, and flew out in to the evening sky. He stayed calm, and everything was running smoothly until a black, and yellow blur shot past in front of him.

"W-what was that?" the young sorcerer asked grimly, trying to see where it went, but the sudden feeling of warm breath on his neck gave him the answer in a form he feared most. "U-uh...Ma-master?" The boy stammered nervously.

"Good guess." Evangeline said as she rested her chin on his shoulder. Her blonde hair tumbled over his chest, and Negi could smell the scent of roses all over her hair. He couldn't see her since she was sitting behind him on the staff, but he was sure that she was still in her young form because the staff didn't need to shift for the extra weight, and her voice had not changed either. Not to say that it made things easier for him, but he just didn't know how to deal with her whenever she took on such an unfamiliar appearance. That, and with the way she was resting against him now...well, things would have been rather awkward with a fully developed body.

"D-do you want me to land?" Negi's voice rose in fear when he felt the vampiress wrap her slender arm around his waist and place her other hand on the side of his right arm.

"Did I order you to land?"

"...No."

"Then don't." replied Evangeline simply. They stayed silent as the staff continued to soar until Negi felt her shift her head a little closer to the side of his neck. Her breath made every hair on his neck and back stand up and tingle.

He could restrain his fears no longer, "Please don't bite me!" He cried out.

"So the little boy is afraid of a bite?" the vampiress asked, moving her hand up his arm towards his neck. "No apprentice of _mine_ should be afraid of a little bite."

"Don't you have blood packs instead?"

"I'm not in the mood for those lousy things tonight. Besides, your blood is something that I would _kill_ for." Negi paled even more if possible at the way the vampiress emphasized the word "kill." He looked down, and panicked when he saw the dorm-building pass under them.

"We...just passed over-"

"So? I didn't order you to stop, did I boya? Now I want to know why you were trying to skip out on our session for the evening."

"I wasn't trying to-"

"Don't worry, Negi..." Evangeline bared her fangs. "You'll make it up to me tonight, and we will pick up where we left off tomorrow night. Won't we, Negi-sensei?"

"Mast-" Negi stopped talking when he felt a very pleasurable sensation rushing through his body at that very moment.

Yep, she was already in...

**_..._**

**_..._**

Konoka Konoe's well manicured digits tapped the table rhythmically as she turned to her dorm mate who was currently typing at the computer like a maniac, her fingers indistinguishable from one another in the flurry of blurs they had become.

"Are you almost done?"

"No time!" The Asuna shot at her in a near breathless voice, taxed from the seemingly endless session she was engaged in. The dead-line for the report was due tomorrow, and she still couldn't see the end of it in sight. "Can't talk!"

"Don't you have delivery duty tomorrow morning?"

"No time to talk!" Asuna snapped wildly, anguished tears welling up at the sides of her eyes. The red-head felt a shiver run up her right leg, and glared at Chamomile when he hopped on her lap.

"Where is big brother Negi?" the ferret asked in worry." It's a full moon out tonight, and he still isn't here!"

"Get off of me! The little squirt is probably with Mcdowell studying or something!" Asuna yelled before realization smacked her across the face. Her fingers slowed down until they came to a stop, and she stood up quickly making the chair fall over. "This isn't good."

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_

* * *

_**

Well this is my first try at Negi fiction since I usually do Eva fiction, but I figured I should explore a bit. So what do you think?

**_-Traingham..._**


	2. Cause and Effect

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters…

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Two: The Dark Pactio_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

Never in his life had Negi ever experienced the sensation that was rushing through his body before. His heartbeat was accelerating, and his body temperature was rising. Every hair on his body stood up as though his soul was being consumed by livewire, and he began to sweat. It was almost too much for the young sorcerer but his body refused to escape or resist; in fact it embraced the feeling. He heard Evangeline moaning in pleasure as his blood streamed in to her mouth, and the sweet taste overwhelmed her senses. Surely she would have to stop sooner or later, but at this point his mind wasn't focused on that.

"Mas...ter." Negi finally managed to gasp out. Evangeline offered him no response yet she tightened her hold around his waist and pressed herself even harder against his back. She didn't seem to be planning on letting him go any time soon. Negi's eyes widened for a split second when a sudden whirlwind of unknown proportions surrounded them making him finally realize what was going on at the time. He should have recognized it when he felt the acceleration of his heartbeat, but his mind was in too much chaos earlier for him to understand. Evangeline was forcing him in to some sort of Pactio with her and it didn't look like he had much of a choice in it. The wind rushed between them, and they were finally engulfed in an explosion of red light.

"It's finally done." Eva gasped as she withdrew her fangs from his neck. She licked the remaining blood that was dripping from her lips, and leaned against him for support to catch her breath. "I'm sure by now you must have recognized the ritual I just preformed with you." she wiped her mouth with her cape, and sighed before smirking when she realized that he wasn't trembling.

"I was expecting you to be drained from that, but I guess I may have underestimated you boy."

"Was that...s-some kind of probitionary contract?" Negi asked shakily. He was desperately trying to keep a grip on the staff to keep it under control, and the fact that Evangeline was putting her weight on him was only making that all the more difficult to do. The campus bridge was up ahead sot that meant he had better turn around or his master was going to turn in to the equivalent of a night light.

"That's right boy. What you were experiencing a moment ago was my own version of the pactio, and as you can see I can form a partial bond without your assistance."

"So how are...we supposed...to form a complete pactio?" Negi was somewhat surprised to hear the vampiress laugh amusedly at his question. He never expected to hear something like that from her, but then again she was behaving weirdly around him tonight.

"To form a complete pactio both people must harbor feelings of love for each other as the pactio is initiated through a mouth-to-mouth kiss. It would be no different from your version of the probitionary contract." Evangeline pulled back away from him, and yawned. "Now stop worrying about that and take me back to my house so you can go back to your dorm before your guardian comes looking for you."

"You mean...Asuna-chan?" Negi asked with a yawn. "I wouldn't worry about her. She has to deliver...newspapers tomorrow."

"Just do as I ordered."

"Y-yes master."

Negi increased the speed of his staff and they were both flying back near the dorm buildings. All was running smoothly until Negi found his vision wavering. Evangeline saw her apprentice beginning to doze off and gave him a quick and light smack across the back of his head.

"Stay awake!"

"A-alright! I'll try...my best to...stay awa-" to her annoyance the young sorcerer fell unconscious again leaving he staff unattended. The staff suddenly went plummeting down to some bushes below near the dorm building much to Evangeline's irritation and she muttered some curses under her breath. So much for a dependable chauffer to take her back home. She spread her cape like bat wings, and grabbed ahold of Negi by his waist before getting off the staff, and allowing in to crash below.

"Consider us even for saving me before Negi." she whispered in his ear as they landed lightly on the ground. She left him laying on his back figuring that Asuna would find and considered taking her leave, but an idea came to mind when she saw how convenient the situation was for her at the moment. She crouched beside him and slowly took off his glasses before a genuine smile graced her lips when her vision was realized. "You're going to look exactly like him when you get older boy." she gave him back his glasses before she heard a familiar voice.

"Negi, is that you?" called out Asuna from nearby. The vampiress backed away from her apprentice and disappeared before she could be seen.

**_-"Till next time kid."-_**

Asuna, and Chamo came running around the corner rushing to his unconscious form when they spotted him. The white ferret ran up Nagi's leg and sat on his stomach calling for him to wake up while Asuna observed the bushes that the staff crashed in to. She wasn't in the mood to go in and rummage for it so she left it alone.

"He crashed." the read-head said to herself as she turned to Negi who was still unconscious. "Why the heck would Negi cr-" Her question was answered when the boy shifted in his sleep, snoring lightly.

"Big brother must have fallen asleep on the fly!" observed Chamo astutely.

"I can see that!" Asuna growled, grabbing the boy by his shirt collar. "If it makes you this damn tired then stop scheduling late tutoring Negi! Hey, wake up already squirt!"

"Hmm?" Negi groaned, as he opened an eye.

"What do you mean "hmmm"? You almost get yourself killed, and that's all you have to say?" Asuna screamed. She carried the boy in her arms, and started to walk back to the dorm with Chamo following not far behind. "I have a report due tomorrow to finish and all you do is give me more trouble!"

"Huh?" Negi finally became fully awake before squirming in Asuna's hold. "W-wait! Where's my staff? I need to get my staff!"

"That thing almost got you killed! Get it tomorrow when you're fully awake because right now you're going to sleep."

"But Asu-"

"_SLEEPY TIME_!"

"A-alright."

* * *

**_The Next Day..._**

It was almost time for class to begin, and the girls were chattering amongst each other about the loud racket from the night before. Practically the entire side of the dorm nearest the crash awoke when the staff made impact with the ground. Makie was engaged in fierce conversation with Haruna until the class door opened, and Negi walked in dragging his feet. His hair was a complete mess, not to mention his eyes were slightly blood-shot.

"Good morning Negi-sensei!" Makie greeted cheerfully. Now usually anytime the girls greeted Negi he would happily greet them back but this certainly was not the case today. Negi merely offered her a weak nod of acknowledgement in return before heading to his desk. His odd behavior caught the attention of all the girls, especially class president Ayaka who made anything concerning the cute teacher her business.

"Are you alright today Negi-kun?" Ayaka asked worriedly looking as though she was about to leave her seat.

"Yeah...er..." Negi yawned and stared at his students blankly. His eyes watched over the back of the room only to find that his master was absent from the class. "Excuse me Chachamaru-san?"

"Yes Negi-sensei?" asked Chachamaru.

"Where is..." Negi paused for a yawn. "Mcdowell?"

"At home in bed. Shall I go and awaken her to escort her here Negi-sensei?" The very question awakened him from his morning daze. Doing that would definitely make the tiny vampire very angry, and God knows what she would have in store for him when she found out the he was the one who sent Chachamaru to go wake her up to bring her back to school.

"T-that's alright Chachamaru-san. I'll just see her after class to check out the problem."

"That is unwise Negi-sensei."

"Don't worry."

"No, really Negi." Asuna said approaching both of them. "Chachamaru has know Evangeline much longer than you have. Besides, Evangeline is evil by nature so I wouldn't expect any good out of it."

"She is still my student." Negi declared with his usual determination. The same determination that always got him in to dangerous situations. All in all the visit to Evangeline's private house would certainly prove to be a very interesting experience. Asuna could only look away from her teacher at his odd naivety.

"Ay, the fool."

* * *

**_Later at Evangeline's house..._**

Negi stopped in front of the Mcdowell home with Chachamaru, and sighed. The vampiress was living large for a junior high student at Mahora, but now that he really thought about it the principal made a good move in allowing her to live apart from the other girls. If she lived in the dorm building then all the other girls would have been sucked dry by now.

"Shall we proceed Negi-sensei?" Chachamaru asked.

"Sure." Negi replied nervously. He was feeling mighty confident earlier when they were in the safety of class but at the very sight of Eva's home he found himself feeling weak in the knees at the thought of even meeting face to face with her. Seeing that he wasn't planning on moving, the android grabbed the boy's hand gently and pulled him to the house with her. She stopped at the door with him before opening it to let him in.

"Make yourself at home Negi-sensei. I will go wake up the mistress for you right now." said Chachamaru with a bow. She headed off for the staircase to reach the second floor making Negi panic.

"W-wait!" Negi cried out, stopping her on the spot.

"Is there a problem Negi-sensei?"

"Er...why don't we wait for her to wake up instead?"

"If that is what you wish sensei." said Chachamaru. She came back to him and asked, "Can I offer you anything to drink while you wait for the mistress?"

_'Who knows what Eva-san drinks when she's thirsty.'_ Negi thought with an awkward laugh. "I'm fine Chachamaru-san."

"Very well Negi-sensei." Chachamaru took a seat in front of him and seemed content to simply stare at him. Now that Negi thought about it Chachamaru was a very intriguing...young woman...sort of. She was selfless, a lover of animals, and very noble. Sure, the android attempted to injure him in the past but that was only because Evangeline ordered it.

"Um...Chachamaru-san?"

"Yes Negi-sensei?"

"What makes you happy?" the young sorcerer asked curiously. Chachamaru's initial response was to recoil at the sudden question making Negi flinch at the unexpected reaction. "I-I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?"

"I..." Chachamaru slightly bowed her head, and smoothed out her skirt before continuing. "...have never been asked such a question before."

"I'm sorry about that."

"...Don't be Negi-sensei. I apprecia-" the android stopped in mid-sentence before whipping her head in the second floors direction. "The mistress is awake."

"Seriously?" Negi asked running his hand through his hair. He wasn't sure that he was prepared to see the vampiress yet.

"Hey Chachamaru, prepare me my tea." Evangeline called out as she left her room. Chachamaru stood up and left Negi alone in the living room by himself. "I really overslept. That Negi really took a..."the girl stopped speaking when she saw Negi sitting on her couch from the top stair step. Her lips curled in to a mischievous smirk. "And here he sits."

"Good afternoon Eva-san." Negi greeted her with a trembling wave. His master slid down the stair rail gracefully, and landed on her feet lightly before walking to him.

"Came here to scold me about cutting your class sensei?" Evangeline asked Negi mockingly.

"Not to scold exactly but-"

"Just consider us even for trying to cut our training session last night, alright boy?" the vampiress leaned over toward him to move his head to the side so she could inspect the spot on his neck where she bit him. "It's as if I didn't bite you at all."

"I've actually been meaning to ask you about that."

"Have you?" Evangeline took a seat on the couch across from him and crossed her legs. Chachamaru walked in to the living room holding a tray in her hand with tea and cookies, and set them down on the table before serving Evangeline a cup of the rose colored tea.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome mistress." the android said with a bow before sitting next to her master. Evangeline took a sip of her tea with a sigh from the soothing drink and asked, "Why don't you have a cup Negi?"

Being that it was in fact, Evangeline offering him a cup of tea, Negi really had to take some time to think over that answer. Sure, he was her apprentice and all but the vampiress wasn't the type of person to offer someone some tea. Especially true when that certain someone was the son of the same man who imprisoned her in Mahora campus. Something was surely up her sleeve so Negi naturally chose to decline the offer.

"I'm fine Eva-san."

_Naturally..._

"I insist." Evangeline persisted gesturing to the tea.

_...the choice..._

"No really, I'm fine." Negi went on.

_...was never..._

"I said have some boy." Evangeline suddenly ordered.

_...his to decide._

"A-alright." Negi submitted to her wishes quickly. He actually expected this to happen, but he was always willing to try and get himself out of it. Evangeline nodded to Chachamaru and the android served Negi a cup before offering the cup to him. Negi accepted the cup hesitantly and thanked her before taking a shy sip. It tasted a little odd, but it was very good!

_'This is actually pretty great.'_ Negi thought as he took a generous sip the second time. "This is delicious Chachamaru-san! Thank you."

"Don't mention it Negi." Eva's smirk grew wider. "Want some more?"

"Yes please." Negi replied, allowing Chachamaru to serve him some more. He couldn't help but feel that this whole situation was a little strange being that he was having some sort of tea party with the vampiress.

"Now you were curious about the effects that our pactio may have had on you, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me something Negi. Did you have a good sleep last night?" Evangeline asked in mock curiosity. She waited expectantly for his answer as though she already knew what his answer was going to be. Negi saw the look on his master's face and started to feel a rising suspicion in the back of his mind telling him that something was up.

"...Now that you mention it...I slept terribly."

"That's a great sign!" Evangeline said cheerfully in a manner that gave her apprentice chills.

"M...master...what d-do you mean by that?"

"I mean that there is a reason you like my home brewed tea so much Negi-sensei."

"I don't know where you're going with this." Negi said feeling unsettled. "What does the tea have to do with my sleeping problems last night or the pactio for that matter?" He saw Evangeline serve herself some more tea before leaning over to examine his empty cup.

"This brew of tea is actually and old favorite of mine that I like to call "Bloodline tea". As the name mentions this tea was made with blood."

"With a twist of lemon." Chachamaru added innocently. Nagi stared at the empty cup before looking at the girls, and right back to the cup again. His hand began to tremble at this traumatizing little information.

"U-um...let me get...this straight." Negi rested the cup on the table in fear of dropping in before going on. "This tea is made with...blood?"

"Yes Negi-sensei." answered Chachamaru.

"And the reason I...like the taste is because..." the young teacher trailed off waiting for an explanation which Evangeline gladly provided him with.

"In a pactio the initiator endows the partner with power and attributes reflected from themselves, correct?"

"Y-yeah...that's right."

"So when I initiated the pactio with you last night I endowed you with my vampiric powers." Evangeline grinned deviously as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Those powers come with some side effects though." her words made the color drain from Negi's face instantly.

"Y-you mean..."

"Yes Negi. That is exactly what I mean."

"S-so I'm a...you made me a...Why me?" he cried out frantically.

"A girl like me gets lonely Negi-sensei." the vampiress said cruelly before bursting out in to sinister laughter. "It's not all that bad kid." Negi felt as though his world was coming down all around him. He couldn't be a vampire! How would he be able to teach if he'll crave all of his own student's blood? How was he supposed to get out of this? Before he knew what was going on darkness overtook him, and he was out cold.

"Negi-sensei..." Chachamaru said in what could have been seen as worry.

"Don't worry about him. He'll get used to it." Evangeline was inwardly excited by this development. Everything was going as planned. "He better wake up before we begin our training or I'll make him sorry."

**_To be continued..._**


	3. Under Observation

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters…tell me are these disclaimers really necessary?

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Three: Wanna bite?_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

"Hello Negi sensei!" Ayaka greeted as she walked in to the classroom. Negi looked up from his grade book, and greeted her back with a cheerful smile. The class president always put a smile on his face with her never ending perkiness even though that perkiness would always be focused on him which would usually end up putting him in the most awkward of situations.

"Do you need anything Ayaka-chan?" Negi asked curiously. He didn't remember telling the girls that he was scheduling tutoring after school today because the Baka rangers would have been sitting in the room by now. Not only that, but the look in the girl's eyes were telling him she was up to something...again.

"I just wanted to spend some time with my favorite teacher." Ayaka replied sweetly as she pulled up a chair next to him.

"B-but shouldn't you be studying or something? You don't want to do bad in any of your classes do you?" Negi asked nervously. He backed away in his chair when he saw Ayaka's eyes glitter with mischief. She threw her arms around him and cried out, "I love it when you worry for me!" Negi found his eyes going for his student's neck.

"...I only do it because I care for you girls." Negi whispered as he bared his fangs.

"W-wow!" cried out Ayaka as she felt a shiver run down her neck. "Oh Negi sensei!"

"Hmmm?" Negi moaned. He realized what he was doing, and his eyes widened in horror. "Oh my god! It's happening!"

"Negi?"

"What have I become!"

_"Negi-sensei?"_

"I can't do this!"

**_"Please wake up Negi-sensei."_**

"What the.."Negi mumbled as he awakened from his sleep. He was laying on the couch in Evangeline's living room with Chachamaru leaning over him. He must have been dreaming after he fainted earlier. "...oh, hi Chachamaru-san." he greeted the android wearily.

"You have been unconscious for three hours already Negi-sensei. I recommend you prepare for your session with the mistress." Chachamaru said as she helped him sit up. She examined him closely before asking, "Would you like some tea?"

"N-no!" Negi cried out backing away from the cup as much as he possibly could. "I never want to drink that again!"

"It would be in your best interest to accept it Negi-sensei." advised Chachamaru gently. "I see no reason for you to decline my offer if you desire it." Her words rang true in Negi's mind. Even now he was actually craving for another cup of her tea, but his fear of craving more blood was keeping him from doing so. He shook his head once more, but Chachamaru served him another cup anyway and held it in front of him.

"Chachamaru..." said Negi, trembling.

"You need your energy if you intend to train with the mistress. Please have a drink before you go sensei." She forced the cup in to his hand, and took the tray with her before walking away. If Negi didn't know better he though Chachamaru was actually showing some worry for him a second ago, but now that he knew he was actually drinking blood the thought made him feel dirty. Mind you the cup was empty when he looked back at it.

"I drank it already? Oh no! This isn't good!"

"Stop whining already boy." a voice called to him from above. He realized his head to see Evangeline watching him from the stair steps resting her chin on her hand. She was already dressed in her cloak, and by the look of the smirk on her face she was ready to begin. "You should be honored that I decided to share my powers with you."

"But look what happened to me!" Negi retorted hysterically.

"You know, by doing that you only hurt my pride." the vampiress said boredly. "Now get yourself ready Negi. I expect to see you in my courtyard in a few minutes." with those words Evangeline left to go outside. Negi, seeing that his whining was going to get him nowhere decided to grab his staff from the couch and join his master outside. It was already dark out, but for some reason everything seemed to be as clear as daylight.

"Notice anything different yet boy?" Evangeline asked.

"Besides my sudden desire for blood?"

"Don't worry about that." the vampiress said casually. "I'll teach you to have some control over that. Your new to this so it's only natural."

"...Sure." Negi replied dejectedly.

"The time for whining is over squirt!" Evangeline scolded. _"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac Lialac, come water, dark spirit!" _

"W-what? Wait a second!" Negi yelled as the vampiress aimed her hand in his direction. She smirked and chanted, "_Darkness, obey a blizzard ice and snow of night!" _She was on her final chant and Negi was still frozen in place.

"Think fast kid!" Evangeline yelled. _"Blizzard of Darkness!"_ Negi's eyes widened as a powerful blast discharged from the girl's hand. He threw himself to the side barely, avoiding a frozen leg. The side of the courtyard that the sub-zero blast hit became something akin to a winter wonderland out of a nightmare. Evangeline was pleased by how fast her apprentice reacted at the last split second and decided to test his agility even further._ "Magic archer consecutive blast, 29 dark arrows!"_

"Ah!" Negi rolled to the side dodging a few incoming arrow like blasts, and brought his staff down to the ground to deflect the other arrows with a force-field. Evangeline dodged them effortlessly and appeared in front of him before thrusting her hand in to his stomach! Negi doubled up from the unexpected attack and staggered back until he collapsed against the water fountain.

The vampiress clicked her tongue a few times and approached Negi as he tried to stand up. "How many times have I told you that a sorcerer will always be vulnerable to melee attacks? Surely you know how to defend yourself against such attacks?"

"...I wasn't prepared..."Negi groaned as he finally stood up, "...for any of that m-master!"

"I specifically remember telling you to come out ready for training."

"But master-"

"I don't want excuses. Just get ready so we can pick back up again." said Evangeline as she walked away to get some distance between them. When she was reasonably far enough she turned around and ordered, "Get in to position!" Negi gripped his staff tightly and did as he was ordered. Right now he had to rid himself of irrelevant thoughts and merely focus on the task at hand.

_-Y-you're a vampire, just deal with it!-_ he thought before shaking his head wildly. Those were the exact thoughts he had to rid himself of! This seriously wasn't going well for him tonight.

"Next round, Negi! _Lic Lac La Lac Lilac..."_

"Alright! _Rastel Maskil Magister..."_

_"Come gather seventeen spirits of wind..."_

_"Come gather seventeen spirits of light..."_

Evangeline smirked, _"Magic archer! Seventeen arrows of ice!"_

_"Magic archer! Seventeen arrows of light!"_ Both of their blasts collided, causing a burst of pressure to explode from the collision. Negi stood his ground, but a shadow leaped at him from within the blast and tried to deliver a kick at him. He dodged to the side and countered with a roundhouse but Evangeline dodged just as well. Both magicians parried blow for blow in a rhythmic dance until Evangeline suddenly cried out, "_Ice explosion!"_

Negi was suddenly engulfed in a chilling explosion that left his hair standing up like the bristles on a broom. His favorite green suit was completely frozen making it hard for him to move his arms, and his eyes watered from how dry the air around him suddenly became from the sub-zero drop in temperature. The lower half of his body was just fine due to the angle the vampiress shot the blast at but he couldn't do anything to counter attack now. It was surprising even to Evangeline that he was able to take a point blank attack like that.

"...Negi-sensei?" she asked hesitantly. The boy simply looked at her for a moment before falling backwards. When he landed on the floor his jacket shattered in to pieces, and he fell unconscious again. "Amazing progress we have here." Evangeline said with a smile. "To take a point blank blast to the face like that and stand ground even for a few seconds." she turned to the house and called Chachamaru.

"Yes mistress?" Chachamaru asked with a bow when she came out of the house.

"Our session is over. Take the boy back to his guardian before she decides to go on a rampage." the vampiress ordered. She stopped to take one last glance at Negi before walking back to her home. "I might as well come to school tomorrow to monitor him. It should be interesting to see how he copes with the life of a nocturnal."

"Very well mistress." replied Chachamaru. She carefully picked Negi up in her arms and studied his face before using her jets to take off. "Negi-sensei..." Chachamaru said dully. "It would seem that I will be seeing more of you." Surprisingly if someone studied the way she spoke to him they would have noticed that there was a small spark of life in her voice.

Asuna lay on the top bunk peacefully with her legs hanging out from the side. The report was out of the way, and all of her homework was taken care of as well. Now she could just relax and do whatever she wanted for the rest of the night. Konoka was watching some sitcom on the television, and Chamomile was somewhere in the hallway carrying out whatever his dirty mind urged him to do.

"This is so boring." Asuna commented out of the blue. She swung her legs a few times for the heck of it, and sat up on the bunk to look at Konoka. "What are you watching?"

"Peach Girl." Konoka replied before sighing dully. "It's boring around here without watching you and Negi-sensei arguing all the time."

"W-what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means what it means Asu-chan." Konoko said.

"Well...where the heck is he anyway?" Asuna asked curiously.

"Didn't he go visit Mcdowell because she skipped class again? How could you possibly forget? You were right there with Negi and Chachamaru when he announced it."

"Heh, heh. Slipped my mind!" the red-head laughed nervously. _He still hasn't come back from that demon girl's house? He doesn't have anything scheduled with her tonight so why is he taking so damn long?_ "He is taking a long time though."

"Yep. Maybe we should go out, and look for him to pass the time?" Konoka suggested with a smile.

"...Alright." Asuna said getting down from the top bunk, but as soon as she landed on the floor there was a knock on the door. The red-head saw a large shadow from the slit under the door so she approached the door cautiously. "H-hello?" she greeted nervously. "Who is it?"

"Chachamaru." came the voice of the android from the other side. At that answer Asuna opened the door quickly to reveal Chachamaru with Negi in her arms.

"What happened to him! Why doesn't he have a shirt on?" Asuna asked frantically. "Did Evangeline do this to him?"

"Master Mcdowell, and Negi-sensei had a sparring match." Chachamaru walked past the girl much to Asuna's surprise and laid the boy down on the couch. When she was sure he was settled in she left the room without a word. Asuna watched the android disappear around the corner and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"She's kind of rude."

* * *

**_The Next Day..._**

Evangeline rested her chin on her hand as she monitored the door to the class from her desk. So far most of the girls had settled in the room having their usual pointless conversations yet Negi wasn't present yet. The same could be said of Asuna, and Konoka who usually walked to school with him. The tiny vampire turned her head to the side when Chachamaru took her respective seat next to her.

"What have you got?" asked Evangeline.

"No unusual presences have passed the magical barrier this morning, and the principal is safe." Chachamaru submitted her morning report in her usual monotone voice.

"I mean, have you seen any sign of my disciple yet?"

"I spotted Negi-sensei arriving at the school with his guardians a few minutes ago."

"Then he should be here soon." Eva rubbed both of her hands excitedly. "This should be fun don't you think so?"

"...Yes." Chachamaru answered after some thought. The door opened drawing all of the girls attention and Negi walked in with Asuna, and Konoka. He was wearing a black suit today instead of his usual green suit due to the events of last night so that really caught most of the girl's eyes, especially Evangeline who was quite fond of the color black. He took his usual place behind his desk, and his usual warm smile crossed his lips.

"Good morning everyone!" He greeted rather cheerfully. The vampiress would not have expected him to act in such a manner after the pain he was put through last night, but Negi always managed to fool others when it came to his mood anyway.

"Good morning Negi-sensei!" all the girls chirped happily. How full of energy were the girls of class 3-A, and their personalities were just as unique. They all seemed so healthy...so full of life...and surely so full of sweet warm...bloo-

_-HEY! Snap out of it_!- Negi mentally scolded himself before his mind brought his desires any further. He knew this whole thing was going to cause problems for him! Even Sayo seemed to become quite desirable in his eyes now that his veins were filled with nocturnal blood and she was a ghost! Was this whole thing affecting how he saw his students as well? Unknown to the young teacher, Evangeline was having a ball watching him fidget nervously in place.

"Shall we start class Negi-sensei?" Eva asked Negi with a growing smirk. What she didn't expect was for that evil smirk to be returned by Negi with a smile. "W..what was that just now?"

"I believe Negi-sensei was smiling at you master." Chachamaru replied, bowing her head slightly.

"Ya think?" Evangeline growled sarcastically. She eyed Negi as he opened the book and called for someone to read. So far the boy just looked at her as though he wasn't at all bothered by all of this at all, but she knew better. He was trying to make her think he had everything in control, but she knew he would snap at any moment when a girl just decided to hug him or something else along those lines.

_-I'm watching you Negi-sensei.-_

"Negi-sensei seems to be handling himself quite well." commented Chachamaru.

"Seems" is the key word in this situation." Evangeline mumbled dully. At this point Negi wouldn't come in to contact with any of the girls until after class. It would be best for her to monitor him after class when the girls would be in tutoring with him, but by that time she would be at the tea club with those other brats. "For now we wait." the vampiress expected her servant to respond to that but to her suspicion Chachamaru was so much more absorbed in to the lesson...how out of character for her.

"Were you listening Chachamaru?" Eva asked.

"Excuse me mistress?"

"...Nothing."

_-She's been behaving oddly since the beginning of the week. I should ask Chao to check her out later.-_

**_After Class..._**

"I don't know how long I can take this." Negi mumbled weakly. He was relieved that the girls left the class because he was being driven mad just at the sight of them brushing their hair to the side or stretching in their seat. "A teacher shouldn't look at his students that way! I'm a failure!" Negi cried out as he laid his head on the desk. "Why does master want me to be this way."

"Teacher!" called a voice. Negi looked to the doorway and saw Kaede standing there with a mischievous smile. Her narrow eyes, and laid back nature always tended to remind him of a character from a popular series.

"H-hi, Kaede-chan." Negi greeted her.

"I've just come to tell you that Ku-san wants you to join her. There are some more recruits to the fighting club and she wants to show you off to them." the ninja raised an eyebrow when she saw how irritated the cute teacher's nose was. "Are you okay Negi-kun?"

"I'm fine."

"You look a little down." Negi got nervous when Kaede approached him and leaned on the desk to look him in the eyes. "It kinda looks like you were crying too."

"Aw, c'mon Kaede I'm fine." Negi assured her. His eyes locked on to her elegant neck and he felt his fangs reacting to them. He wondered if this was how Evangeline felt every time she was thirsty because if it was then maybe that's why she's always so unpleasant to be around. "H-hey...what are you-" Kaede grabbed ahold of him before he could finish and squeezed him hard.

"What makes you happy Negi-kun? Just tell me and we'll do it right now to lift your spirits."

"W-well...I don't know actually." Negi replied, baring his fangs.

"C'mon! Don't be silly sensei!" Kaede blushed lightly when she felt Negi's breath on her neck. "If you want I can always bring you back to the forest with me again. It would be fun to have you back as an apprentice ninja like before."

"Well..." He moved closer to her neck, but he fought with all his will power to stop himself before it was too late. Fortunately for him Asuna forgot her notebook in the classroom earlier so she would do the job for him. The red-head ran in to the classroom relieved that it was open and watched the scene unfold before her. At the sight of his guardian Negi pulled back away from the baka ranger's neck and smiled guiltily as though he was just caught in the act of doing something wrong...which actually wasn't too far from the truth.

"Hey, what are you two doing?"

"Huh?"

**_Later that night..._**

Evangeline looked through her photo album in her room. There she had pictures of her trip with Nagi after he saved her from the villagers. Those were an exciting few months that she treasured in her heart...well that was until she finally tried to take him for herself by force and the whole confrontation between them happened.

"Master?" Chachazero called to her from the edge of the desk. The sadistic little puppet had been watching her since she began to look through the photos.

"What is it?" Evangeline asked, closing the album roughly before shoving it away from her in pent up anger.

"Do you miss Nagi-chan?" the puppet asked bluntly; something that Chachazero was very infamous for.

"Of course not! Why the hell would I miss a lowdown magister like him? He's the reason I have to spend a living hell in this school."

"Master is lying!"

"Shaddup!" Eva yelled at the smirking puppet. "I should just shut you off right now so I don't have to listen to you."

"If master does not like Nagi-chan then why is she nice to Negi-kun? I can hang him upside down for master if she wishes...or torture him or-"

"I wonder why you came out so twisted."

"So master likes Negi-chan too?" Chachazero asked dancing around the desk.

"That's it you little heap of junk!" Evangeline growled with a furious blush creeping up on her face. She was about to bang the puppet around a bit but a knock from the door downstairs got her attention. She stood up from the chair and narrowed her eyes at the smiling puppet before saying; "I'll deal with you later."

"Master is furious!"

"I said shut up!" Evangeline scolded one last time before leaving the room. Chachazero merely waited for her master to be out of sight before opening the album to look at the pictures. "Thousand master is the best!"

Evangeline descended to the first floor as she thought of ways to teach the sadistic puppet a lesson after she dealt with the matter at hand. That little contraption even disturbed her sometimes with the way it preferred to go about things. She opened the door and raised an eyebrow when she saw who it was.

"Negi? What are you doing here at this time?" Eva asked with a fanged grin. From the looks of it the boy probably had too many mishaps with the girls this afternoon.

"Umm...can I have some tea?"

"I don't see why not."

**_To be continued..._**


	4. First Signs

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Four: Enter Chachazero_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

Negi took another generous sip of his tea and settled down in the couch looking back at Eva who studied him with the outmost pleasure. It was kind of comforting for her to have another vampire around campus for a change, and to make it even better the new vampire was the only person on campus that could become her "Match" when it came to the arts of magic. Add on that fact that he was her apprentice and everything was just right!

"So you want to tell me what happened today?" Evangeline asked, crossing her legs. Negi averted his eyes away from her and started to look around the room before responding, "Um, what do you mean?"

"What happened with you and the girls today? You were trying to keep your cool in class but we all know better than that." Eva licked her lips before offering him her trademark smirk. "You-wanted-a-bite." the vampiress leaned over, and tossed her hair to the side so she could reveal her neck. "Am I wrong?"

"I-I...yeah I did." Negi admitted dejectedly once he felt there weren't any excuses to use. "I don't think the girls will be safe unless I'm chained to the wall while I'm teaching. For some reason he saw a slight blush appear on his master's face when he said that.

"So go ahead. Give me the details."

"Do I have to?" Negi groaned with a blush.

"It's an order."

"...Mind serving me another cup of tea first?" Negi asked holding out his cup to her, but Eva shook her head and snapped her fingers. Chachamaru came from the kitchen and took the tray away making Negi bow his head sadly.

"I'm going to train you to suppress your blood lust, and resisting the urge for the tea is our first step." Evangeline placed her cup in the center of the table. "I'll even join you to make sure you go through with it."

"Man, this is going to be hard."

"Just go on with the story."

* * *

**_The Kuu-Fei scenario..._**

All of the new recruits sat around Ku-Fei in a circle in anticipation as they waited for her favorite student to come out before them. Right now the Chinese girl was feeling very impatient at the moment with how long it was taking Negi to change out of his suit. She tapped her foot on the floor in a rapid pace that threatened to cause a dent or crack if she continued.

"Negi! You come out now!" Ku ordered loudly. "Must not keep me waiting out here like this!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Negi said sheepishly as he stepped out and walked in to the middle of the circle of girls. He began to blush under their gazes, and for some reason he felt his heartbeat accelerate at the sight of Ku-Fei's exposed legs._ -It's happening again!-_

"Disciple is forgetting manners!" Ku-Fei snapped at him as she gestured to the girls with her eyes.

"O-oh, I'm sorry!" Negi apologized before bowing to all of the new club members. "Greetings everyone, my name is Negi." His ears were immediately assaulted by girlish squeals of excitement at how adorable he looked. He sighed at this response and turned back to Ku-Fei who looked just as giddy. "C-can we begin now?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed before turning to all of the club members. "We demonstrate Kata of the martial art now. Not to be confused with sparring!" Ku-Fei got in position and started out her fluid movements capturing the eyes of all the girls. She nodded to Negi and he began to mimic her move for move without so much as touching her.

"Pick up pace!" she ordered.

"Y-yes ma'am!" said Negi, doing as he was told. Everything was going on well until he made a wrong step and fell over. Ku-Fei's eyes widened in fright and she attempted to catch him causing the both of them to fall to the floor. This was an awkward position for Negi who found himself being consumed by the deep pools of Ku-Fei's eyes. He slowly found his arms wrapping around her back and the girl started to blush.

"Negi-sensei...what you doing?" she asked as he leaned his head over until they were nose to nose.

"Ku-Fei?" he said dreamily, getting the unmistakable scent of the blood in her veins.

"W-what?"

"You smell great." His comment made her swoon for a few second before she snapped out of it, and narrowed her eyes playfully.

"This not time for naughty games!" she cried out throwing him off of her. "C-club over for today! All dismissed!" the announced frantically before winking at Negi. "Ha, ha! N-naughty boy!" she almost tripped over her other leg trying to leave the room.

* * *

"That didn't go too well." Negi explained.

"That actually sounded kind of perverted."

"I don't know why I'm acting this way! I can't help it!"

* * *

**_The Satsuki scenario..._**

"Oh man! Ku-san is probably going to let me have it next time." Negi said with a groan. He felt his stomach growl and winced before looking around. He had better satisfy himself of his hunger quick before his vampiric senses began to run wild. If he was suffering now he could only pray for the lord's guidance when a full moon was out at night. Not even Evangeline could control her thirst when that time came. "Maybe I should go have something to eat at Sat-chan's restaurant."

"Negi-chan!" two wild voices called from behind him. He whipped around all the while sweat-dropping to find himself face to face with Fumika, and Fuka. The twins were the last girls he needed to see tonight! He seriously wasn't in the mood to go on an adventure with them right now.

"Hi there girls." Negi greeted nervously.

"We heard you were hungry!" exclaimed Fuka with a smile.

"That we did!" Fumika added on.

"Err, yeah I sorta am!" Negi replied taking a few steps away so he could make his escape, but Fuka ran beside him so he wouldn't be able to. "W-what's the matter."

"If you're going to Sat-chan's restaurant then you are going the wrong way!" Fuka explained with a shake of her head.

"That you are!" Fumika followed on. "She's cooking her special new energy bun recipe for the festival at the school cafeteria!" the young twin grabbed his arm and started to lead him with her. Fuka grabbed his other arm, and did the same.

"She wanted us to find you anyway!"

"Oh really?" Negi asked with a fake smile.

_-Why me?-_

Satsuki served Yue, and Nodoka their food with her usual smile before tending to the other buns that were still steaming. For being so energetic those twins were sure taking their time searching for Negi. Ku told her that he was still hanging around since she had just finished attempting to demonstrate the Kata in front of the new club members so he shouldn't be too hard to find. She didn't understand why Ku was so flustered when she mentioned to young teacher's name though.

"Negi-kun must be on the run from them." said Yue before taking a bite from her bun. Her words made Nodoka accidentally choke on her own food.

"Negi-sensei is c-coming?" asked the shy girl, dropping her bun on the plate.

"Did you not hear what Satsuki asked of the twins earlier?" Yue asked in her usual monotone voice. Just as she asked that question the twins burst in to the cafeteria with Negi in tow. The book girl left her plate on the counter, and immediately excused herself for the bathroom...where she really intended to go was never to be known.

"Just on time Negi-kun." announced Satsuki. "I'm taking out some buns from the steamer right now." When Negi took a seat next to Yue she set him up with a plate of buns. Negi's mouth watered at the very sight of the tasty morsels.

"Thanks alot Sat-chan!" Negi said happily. Satsuki placed a hand on his head, and offered him a smile that he couldn't help but smile back at.

"Anytime sensei. I just wanted to let you try out my new buns since you were looking kind of tired this morning." She didn't notice that Negi took her hands into his own. "These buns are going to accompany my new soup for the festival!"

"That's sounds great!" Negi praised before taking a whiff of her wrist. Just as he opened his mouth to bare his fangs he finally noticed that his students were looking at him. He paused for a moment to look back at them before letting go of Satsuki's hand. "...You're probably curious right now..."

"Are you alright Negi-sensei?" Yu asked worriedly. "You kind of looked like you were going to bite her."

"I was so hungry...I kind of lost myself there." Negi said with a nervous chuckle.

"Can you bite me?" Fumika asked playfully.

"Me too!" cried out Fuka.

"Um..." Negi stood up to get away from the twins. "...I'll be right back!" Negi took his leave with out a word leaving the girls to watch the cafeteria doors slam shut.

"He's been acting weird for the past few days." Satsuki remarked.

* * *

"So that's all that happened?" asked Evangeline with a disappointed expression. "You didn't shed any blood at all?"

"No." Negi shifted in his seat on the couch before averting his eyes and continuing. "Not yet." His words made his master chuckle evilly. To think that this boy was more afraid of himself than all the other dangers he could possibly face, but she decided to go along with it anyway.

"I can fix that problem for you, but in order to do that you will be under surveillance." Negi felt a shiver run down his spine when that oh so familiar smirk appeared on the vampire's face. "I haven't presented you with a familiar yet have I?"

"I-I have Chamo-kun." Negi retorted nervously. "He's fine for me."

"The ermine is only useful for little things, and besides you are a magician of dark ranks now. You need a familiar fit for a vampire, and I have just the partner for you." Evangeline let out a sigh of relief when she finished. It was about time that she came up with an excuse to relieve herself of her old sadistic partner. "Chachazero!"

"You called master?" asked the cute little puppet as she floated down to them in an instant. Negi's eye twitched when the puppet looked at him with a gleam in her eye.

"I'm not your master anymore." Evangeline said before gesturing to Negi. "The boy is your new master now, and you'll have to keep an eye on him so he won't bite anyone before the next full moon." Negi flinched at this information, and stood up to back away from the two.

"Chachazero? You want her to be my familiar?" the young sorcerer asked fearfully.

"You would have a problem with that?" asked the vampiress, raising an eyebrow at the very thought of the boy disobeying her. Negi wasn't one to disobey her before, but she wouldn't hesitate to punish him if he decided to now. Now Negi could have gone about this two ways: He could say no and spend the rest of his life with the sadistic puppet or...never mind there was only one way.

"O-of course not master." Negi answered with a bow. "I'm grateful for my new familiar." at his words Chachazero cried out with glee and took her place sitting on top of his head. Chachamaru entered the living room from the kitchen and cocked her head to the side in confusion when she saw her counterpart with Negi.

"Then it's settled." Evangeline concluded as she got up from the couch and headed for the staircase. "I'll see you tomorrow apprentice, and be warned..." Eva grinned menacingly. "If I find out that you've had a bite before me then our next session will be extended to three hours. Is that understood Negi?"

"Yes master." Negi replied dejectedly.

"You can go now." the vampiress climbed the stairs to the second floor and disappeared from sight. When Chachamaru was sure that her master was out of earshot she turned to Negi and asked, "What is the meaning of this Negi-sensei?"

"You mean Chachazero?" asked Negi.

"...Yes."

"Um, well Eva-san gave her to me as my new familiar."

"Negi-kun is my new master!" Chachazero announced as though Chachamaru didn't get the message already. She pulled lightly at Negi's hair to get his attention before suggesting, "We should head home master."

"I guess we should." Negi agreed before walking to the door, but Chachamaru was at the door in an instant to open it for him. "Heh...um, thanks Chacha-chan!"

"Me?" Chachazero asked hopefully, getting a look from her counterpart in return.

"He meant me." Chachamaru replied in a somewhat dark fashion. Negi paused to look at the current situation for a second, but waved it off since he didn't want to get in too deep.

"Alright then, see ya!" Negi left, and Chachamaru closed the door before leaning on it.

"...Am I jealous?"

* * *

**_The Next Day..._**

It was a beautiful morning and the morning rays from the sun were piercing the shades blocking the view from the window. The young sorcerer sleeping on the couch stretched before opening his eyes and taking a look around the room. Yep, everything was looking fine so he didn't happen to lose control over himself during the night. He got up quietly so as not to wake up his other two room mates and reached for his glasses that were supposed to be resting on the table, but they were nowhere in sight.

"That's weird." Negi mumbled softly. He was sure that he left them there last night, and he knew they couldn't have just disappeared on their own accord unless an animating spell was cated on them so where were the-

"Oh..."Negi realized the reason why when his vision suddenly became clear. Chachazero adjusted his glasses on his nose for him and sat on Negi's head before greeting him cheerfully.

"Good morning master Negi-kun!" she exclaimed.

"Shhhhh." he quieted her quickly. "Can't you see that everyone else is sleeping?"

"Yes, but I don't care." Chachazero simply replied. "Nothing in the world matters to me other than what matters to master."

"You don't have to call me master Chacha-chan. Just calling me Negi is alright by me, okay?"

"Affirmative Negi-chan."

"Let's go get something to eat."

* * *

"Wow. People are already awake?" Negi observed as he watched some students preparing their stands for the festival. There were cafe's being prepared as well as game stands for the other students during the festival. "Then Satsuki should already be at her restaurant!" Negi said excitedly. He was seriously in the mood for something to eat.

"HIYA NEGI!" a voice called from behind him. Negi turned around and spotted Kotaro running towards him with the usual grin on his face.

"G'morning Kotaro-kun!" Negi greeted his dog-eared friend. He wasn't too surprised to see the energetic boy up already as well.

"Hey, this is pretty cool huh?" Kotaro asked.

"Yeah, I really can't wait for the festival. This is gonna be really exciting..." Negi's excitement faltered a bit when he remembered his duties as a teacher. "...I'm probably going to be pretty busy though with my students and all."

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that Mr. Teacher." Kotaro teased before looking at Chachazero who looked back at him eeriely. "Err...what's that Negi-kun? Whatever happened to the ermine of yours?"

"This is my new partner Chachazero." Negi introduced the sadistic puppet. "Master gave her to me last night."

"R-really? The thing is kind of creepy."

"Can I stab him Negi-chan?" Chachazero suddenly asked not feeling too happy about being commented about in such a way.

"O-of course not!" Negi replied in horror. He was never going to get used to having her as a partner if she kept on acting this way. Kotaro's eyes twitched as he began to feel that he wouldn't be able to get along with the puppet.

"Anyway what're you about to do right now?"

"I was about to get something to eat at Satsuki's."

"Seriously? Let me come with you buddy!"

"Sure." Negi replied as he started walking again. Kotaro increased his pace so he would be walking side by side with his friend and smirked when a thought came to mind that he had been holding in for a long time.

"So did you hear about the martial arts tournament they were going to be holding during the festival?" asked the dog-eared boy.

"Nope." Negi answered. "Why? Do you want to go see it or something?"

"No, no, no! I want to participate in it!" Kotaro declared proudly.

"That's pretty cool. Good luck with that."

"You still don't get it do you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Negi with a sweat drop. Somehow he got the feeling this conversation was leading in a direction he wasn't going to be pleased with.

"I want you to sign up too Negi-kun!" Kotaro could feel himself dancing with joy. "This way we can compete against each other! You know, test our fighting skills and crush the competition!"

"That sounds alright but I told you I might be busy...besides..."

"Besides what?"

"I've got no chance in a pure martial arts tournament!"

"What do you mean? You've been trained by the crazy chick...er...what's her name again?"

"Ku-Fei-san?"

"Yeah, there ya go! I'm sure she would be disappointed in you if you decided to pass up this chance!"

"...I have to think about it." Negi finally replied with some hesitation.

"Negi-chan can crush the competition easily! Little dog boy over here won't stand a chance against your great power!" Chachazero boasted. "He should be lucky if you don't kill him by mistake."

"WHAT DID THAT PIECE OF JUNK JUST SAY?" Kotaro growled clenching his fist furiously. He tried to get at the puppet but Negi held him away for his own sake. "Let me at it Negi! I'll tear it in shreds before it makes another snide comment!"

"C-calm down!"

"B-but you heard what it said!" Kotaro yelled as he tried to get a swipe at Chachazero.

"She didn't mean it though."

"I meant every word." said the puppet as she began to dance on Negi's head to taunt the frustrated boy. Negi dodged another swipe from his friend and held his hand out in a desperate attempt to calm him down.

"Just stop it already! Calm down."

"Hmph." Kotaro scoffed. "Keep the little imp away from me our I swear I won't be responsible for my actions." he calmed down and tried as hard as he could to control himself from lunging at Negi to grab ahold of Chachazero. They finally made it to Satsuki's place without any trouble and took a seat to wait for her. Chachamaru came around from the back in her uniform and took and bowed to them.

"Good morning Negi-sensei." greeted Chachamaru before her eyes swiveled over to Chachazero. At the sight of her sitting on Negi's head the same feeling that plagued her last night awakened within her with a vengence. "I see you are getting close to Chachazero." she said darkly.

"I love master Negi-chan!" Chachazero declared. "I will honor him like my last master!"

"Heh, heh." Negi laughed awkwardly. "She is kind of cute...when she isn't blood thirsty." Chachamaru recoiled from his words and felt a deeper pang of jealousy. She seriously wasn't comfortable with Evangeline's set up but she couldn't go against her master's will.

"I will go get Satsuki-san." Chachamaru suddenly announced before walking away. Negi, and Kotaro looked at each other for a moment and shrugged.

"You think I said something wrong?" asked Negi.

"Course not!" replied Kotaro. "So have you made up your mind about the tournament?" he changed the subject to his liking immediately.

"Oh come o-"

"What is this I'm hearing about now?" asked a dark voice. Negi and Kotaro turned to see who it was and froze in place when they saw it was Evangeline. She looked at Chachazero with a grin before looking back at Negi and taking a seat.

"G-good morning master!" Negi greeted her with a bow, but he was struck by confusion when the vampiress cupped his chin in one hand and opened his mouth to study his canines. "Er..wrat aw ooh dwoing?" the sorcerer asked almost incoherently.

"They're growing in nicely." She winked at him and bared her own fangs. "Almost as lethal looking as my own now. I'm eager to test you out on the next full moon Negi-sensei. It will be an experience you won't forget."

"What are you two talking about?" Kotaro asked curiously.

"I'm talking about Negi becoming my new personal apprentice. He'll be doing more than training with me from now on."

"I'm not following."

"Haven't you noticed anything different about Negi's aura, mut?" Evangeline asked boredly as she let go of Negi. Kotaro would have attacked her for calling him a mutt but his "No hitting Girls" policy forbade him from doing so.

"He's gotten stronger since last time. That's natural since he's training with a mons- ACK!" Negi covered his mouth before he could complete his sentence. "He means that I'm being trained by the best!" Negi spoke for him.

"Such a dense fool he is." Evangeline mumbled with a sneer. Her eyes swiveled to her former partner who sat on Negi's head comfortably and asked ,"So how is Chachazero behaving?"

"Chachazero is an angel!" the puppet answered with a salute. A vein popped out on the vampiress' head and she growled, "I wasn't asking you idiot!" Her only response from the puppet was a little dance that only served to irritate her even further.

"She's just fine Master." replied Negi, patting the puppet on the head lightly. "She even helped me out when I woke up."

"How nice." said the vampiress with a nod of her head. She turned to the side when Chachamaru came out with Satsuki and greeted the cook. She felt that Sat-chan was the only girl in class besides Negi that was worthy of being talked by her.

"Good morning everyone. I hope I didn't keep you all waiting very long!" Satsuki said with a giggle. "I was busy preparing everything in the storage room. If it wasn't for Chachamaru-san I probably would have been in there forever."

"We can always depend on Chacha-chan." Negi praised the android.

"Me?" Chachazero asked.

"He meant me!" Chachamaru suddenly scolded. Everyone at the table except for Evangeline was taken by surprise from this. The android started to feel a little sheepish under her peers gazes, and turned away for the kitchen. "I will begin my duties. Excuse me."

"Is she okay?" Negi asked.

"Just fine you clueless disciple." Evangeline answered with a sigh.

"What?"

**_To be continued..._**

**__**


	5. A walk with Misfortune

Diclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Five: Poking and Prodding_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

Negi sighed as he rested his chin in his hand before opening wide for Chachazero to deposit another slice of food in his mouth with her scythe and blade. Kotaro was observing enviously from his side while Evangeline ate in silence from the other. Satsuki found it quite cute that the twisted puppet was assisting the young sorcerer but Negi didn't feel all that comfortable with being fed by utensils of death.

_'Chachamaru-san has been back there for quite a long time. I wonder if she's okay.'_ Negi thought as he chewed the food in his mouth.

_'Don't worry about that disciple. What goes on in a woman's mind is far too complex for you, whether it be human or android.'_ Negi flinched when he heard the feminine voice in his head. He turned just as Chachazero was about to offer him another helping of food to see Evangeline staring at him.

"W-was that you?" Negi asked with an unbelieving expression gracing his face but the vampiress simply turned back to her breakfast without offering him an answer to his question.

"Master Negi!" the puppet suddenly called to him. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Yeah...I guess I was just hearing things." Negi replies with a off handed wave. Kotaro turned to his friend with a chuckle and said, "I think Eva is driving you batty Negi." The irony of his comment made the young sorcerer want to roll his eyes.

"...Not exactly that far from the truth."

"Uh, what?" the dog-eared boy asked in confusion.

"Nothing." Negi replied dejectedly.

_'I was expecting you to at least attempt to reply telepathically but I guess that's just expecting too much, huh?'_ the voice rang in his head again. This time Negi was sure it was Evangeline's voice so he looked back at her but this time she didn't bother to face him. The young sorcerer sat there looking at her for a good few minutes before submitting to her wishes.

_'Can you hear me now?'_ Negi asked in his thoughts.

Evangeline couldn't help but smirk...

_'You're catching on kid.'_ she replied.

_'I KNEW IT!'_

**_SMACK!_**

Kotaro leaned away from Negi when the vampiress unexpectedly smacked him across the head for no apparent reason.

"Not so loud, you!" she cried out.

"I-I'm so sorry master!" apologized Negi. Chachazero became alert at that very moment and jumped on Negi's shoulder with her two blades poised to attack.

"Give me the word and I'll lay down the marks master." Chachazero said devilishly. Negi's eyes widened in horror at his familiar's words and Evangeline raised an eyebrow in confusion. The puppet was only Negi's for one night and she was already treating her like a complete stranger.

"Lay down your weapons doll." Evangeline ordered Chachazero but the puppet stayed in position.

"Just stop it Chachazero! I don't need you to hurt anybody!" Negi commanded her. The puppet did as told and sheathed her blades before jumping back down on the counter to keep guard over Negi. "I'm sorry master."

"Save it." said the vampiress as she stared at the puppet. "Be careful with her boy...she really is a hand full."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." He patted Chachazero on the head nervously before hearing Asuna's voice come from behind him.

"Where the heck have you been squirt?" the red-head asked worriedly with Chamo sitting on her shoulder. The ermine spotted Chachazero and greeted her mischievously.

"Hey there Zero!"

"Howdy Albert!" the puppet greeted back in a friendly fashion. For some odd reason Chamo was perhaps the only one who could really connect with her. He got down from Asuna and rushed over to Negi so he could take his place on the sorcerer's head.

"You've been missing all night big brother."

"Actually I sneaked in to the dorm room with Chachazero while everyone was sleeping." Negi replied. Asuna towered over him with her hands on her hips and leaned over to him before retorting, "But we didn't hear you leave this morning either."

"I-I guess Kaede has been teaching me well."

"...Right." Asuna mused, rolling her eyes before swiveling them towards Chachazero. "By the way, what do you mean you sneaked in with Chachazero? What were you doing coming to my dorm with her last night?"

"She's my new familiar." Negi replied before feeling Chamo shudder in surprise. "She's not replacing you Chamo-kun! Just think of her as your new partner." The ermine was delighted to hear this news. He hopped on to the counter to extend a paw out to the puppet and said, "Welcome aboard Zero!"

"Great to be aboard Albert." she replied mischievously. "I'm sure it'll be fun working with ya'."

"Wait, wait, wait...wait a second." Asuna was bordering on hysterical. "That crazy little thing is your new familiar? B-but in order for that to be true then ..." Her eyes wandered over to Evangeline. "She had to give it to you, right?"

"Master did give Chachazero to me." replied Negi with a grin.

"Why?"

"Why does it matter to you so much?" Evangeline asked Asuna with one eye closed. "You shouldn't worry so much about what goes on between me and my disciple. That is our business alone...besides..." the vampiress grinned. "I always thought you wanted him out of your hair. Why worry about the affairs of a trouble maker?"

"Look here Eva. I don't care about what you are so don't think you can intimidate me."

"Is that a threat coming from you girl? You aren't worth my time." Evangeline watched as Asuna slipped out her card and smirked. "You're gonna whack me with that fan of yours or what?" Negi stood up and got between both girls to break them up.

"You can't be using magic on campus so freely!" Negi cried out. Kotaro frowned at the sudden hiatus of the argument and booed.

"Come on Negi! I wanna see a fight!" he complained before feeling a cold blade tip at his neck. He slowly looked over to the side and found Chachazero poking him with her blade while Chamo stood behind her sweat dropping.

"Best to not interfere canine."

"...Yeah...I'm cool."

* * *

Negi suddenly felt the weight of both his familiars using him as a resting post and figured it wouldn't be a good idea to walk with the both of them at the same time anymore. Chachazero took her respective place on his shoulder while Chamo took his place on his head since he was somewhat lighter. The ermine kept on stealing glances at Evangeline since she decided to accompany Negi being that they were both going on a fast from drinking anything with blood. The vampiress thought it would be best if they kept an eye on each other just to be on the safe side. At this point Chachazero was so dedicated to the young sorcerer that if he did slip and ended up doing something reckless she would be loyal enough to cover it up.

"Hey big brother?" Chamo whispered in Negi's ear.

"What is it Chamo-kun?"

"What is Dark Evangeline doing hanging out wit' ya?"

"She's my master."

"So? She's never decided to just hang out with you for no reason before. How close have you two gotten these past few days?"

"You mean...you don't sense a change in my magi aura?"

"You've gotten stronger, that's for sure." the ermine replied proudly.

"...I'll talk to you about it later! I just found out moments ago that-"

"Just in case you forgot, I know what you're thinking boy." Evangeline cut him off. "You might as well tell the ermine now. It will save you two alot more tension in the future." Negi almost face-faulted but managed to stand his ground.

"She can read my thoughts." Negi finished.

"I can see that, but what is she talking about?" Chamo asked curiously. Before Negi could open his mouth Chachazero decided to save him the trouble of answering.

"Master Negi is a vampire." the puppet answered, swinging her legs back and forth. Chamo went pale for a few seconds before going hysterical. This wasn't good at all for Negi if his sister ever found out that he was close enough to the vampiress for her to get her hands on him! Takamichi or the Headmaster might even say something about it if they ever found out!

"This isn't right Eva-san!" Chamo yelled at the vampiress only to receive a dark glare from her.

"I don't see what's wrong with it ermine? The headmaster has respect for me just as I do for him so he wouldn't mind if I decided to have a little fun." she crossed her arms and frowned. "What can Takamichi or the headmaster do to me? Takamichi knows I outclass him and the old man can barely do a thing. I should know since I'm his body guard."

"That isn't the point!" Chamo retorted but Negi patted him on the head lightly and gestured for him to be quiet. Setsuna saw him and Evangeline walking up beside one of the stands they were preparing and decided to approach them. Her eyes wandered to the vampiress for a few seconds before softening her gaze as she looked over to Negi.

"Hi there Negi-kun. It's nice to see that you decided to stop by." Setsuna greeted with a slight bow. "I see that you managed to convince Mcdowell to come out...that's really rare."

"I just wanted her to see how the preparations for the festival were going, that's all." Negi replied with a laugh. "So what are you doing here Setsuna-san?"

"We're setting up Konoka's card reading stand for the festival. It was a hit the last few festivals so we figured it would be a great idea to bring it all back again." she turned when she heard the sound of skates. "Here she comes now."

"It's great to see you Negi-kun!" Konoka greeted the boy excitedly. "So you came to see how we were doing, huh?"

"Yea-"

"You excited for the festival?" she cut him off suddenly. Negi took a few seconds to look at her sweating face before deciding to answer. "Er...sur-"

"I hope to see you at my stand too!" Konoka saw Evangeline and looked between her and Negi before squealing in delight. "Ooooooh! Asuna is gonna be so jealous when she finds out that Mcdowell here is taking you away from her!"

"Actually Konoka, Negi is a little too young for Asu-" Setsuna died off in mid-sentence when her friend whipped around with a smile and sighed romantically.

"Don't they just look cute together?" she asked Setsuna much to Evangeline's irritation. The vampiress grabbed ahold of Negi's shoulder and whispered, "Get me out of here before I take out my irritation on you."

"Y-yes master!" Negi replied quickly. He tapped Konoka on the shoulder to get her attention and said, "Well, we better check out the other set ups before the other girls start to think I'm shying away from them."

"Awww, really?" asked Konoka with a pout.

Evangeline tightened her grip on Negi's shoulder...

"Yeah, really!" Negi cried out painfully. Without a second to spare the two were on their way to get as far away from Konoka as they possibly could. Setsuna crossed her arms and sighed, shaking her head.

"I think you scared them away Konoka."

"But they looked so cute with each other!"

* * *

Yue, Haruna were walking with Nodoka in a futile attempt to fire her up for her encounter with Negi since she was planning on asking him out to the scavenger hunt that the Library club was holding for the festival. So far all they managed to do was make the timid girl close up to the point that everything they were telling her simply whizzed by meaninglessly.

"Come on already! All you're doing is asking him out!" Haruna agued, placing a hand on Nodoka's shoulder but the girl jerked her hand off quickly so she Haruna wouldn't be able to slow her down.

"I c-can't do this! It's too nerve wracking!"

"But if you don't just suck it in then what good will it be for you to like him?" Yue asked with her usual frown. "He isn't even a full grown man. How do you expect to meet someone with the mentality you have now? Ask him already!"

"I-I..."Nodoka's eyes widened fearfully. "I...I...I...I...I...I..." Haruna waved a hand in front of her face but the girl continued to drone on in shock. She shrugged her shoulders when Yue asked what was the problem and decided to follow Nodoka's line of sight to see Negi and Evangeline walking by in the distance.

"Oh I see the problem." said the manga-ka artist. She tapped Yue on the shoulder and showed her what was the problem.

"That's pretty weird." said Yue as she slurped the juice in her hand through a straw. "Mcdowell is usually nowhere to be seen. For her to even be walking around with Negi-sensei is unheard of."

"You don't think..."

"No,no,no!" Nodoka cried out clasping her hands over her ears. "I can't hear you! La, la, la, la!"

"Whoa, where are you going?" Haruna asked as the girl began to walk away but she was so busy blocking her out that she just kept on walking straight ahead. "I guess we gotta abort for now."

Yue sighed and nodded in agreement. "At this rate she'll work up the nerve by the time the festival is over."

"Did you hear anything master?" Chachazero asked Negi as she looked at the bushes in the distance where the library trio was hiding earlier.

"No." Negi replied. He turned to Evangeline who was looking bored as usual and asked, "Aren't you excited about the festival master?" She turned to look at him and scoffed.

"Excited? Me excited about a festival?" the vampiress grinned evilly and pointed at a group of students trying out costumes and cat ears. "All of this is child stuff. I've been cursed to stay here for so long that all the festival really does for me is annoy me to the point that it drive me insane. Besides, with the World Tree granting wishes this year all I'll be seeing is Magi patrollers scouting the entire area for any unsuspecting couples."

"The World Tree?"

"You're clueless aren't you? Don't you know anything about Maharo campus?"

"Not really."

"I should've known. Every twenty-two years the power of the World Tree at the center of the campus awakens and it's power becomes accessible to those around it. Since the festival is usually centered around it due to it's little romantic legend there's been a few incidents where wishes of love have been fulfilled."

"That's a good thing isn't it?" Asked Negi obliviously.

"Sure it sounds pretty nice but it really isn't all that sweet. Imagine if that stalker of yours, Nodoka decided to confess to you-"

"I don't have a stalker!" Negi cut Evangeline off before receiving a glare that shut him up instantly. "...Sorry about that."

"...As I was saying, if she managed to confess to you around the influence of that World tree's power then you'd become her own personal mindless drone or if she's unfortunate you just might end up going too far and hurting her." The vampiress watched Negi shiver from the very thought and leaned over to him. "You might just end up sucking her dry."

"That's horrible!"

"That's right and for that reason the headmaster hires security to make sure something like that won't happen. That means high-class magisters around the world gather here every twenty-two years and with my reputation all they do is harass me. Who knows Negi? Maybe you might even be picked to be on watch duty and we'll see just how fun the festival is then."

"No fun for you!" Chachazero chanted.

"That really sucks." said Chamo with a groan. "All they ever do is pile up more and more responsibilities. I guess that means you won't be able to join up in the tournament."

"I wasn't really planning to join in the first place." Negi retorted.

"Oh really?" Evangeline asked. "Is that what you and the mutt was talking about back there at the restaurant earlier? I don't see why you shouldn't join up. It would really prove to show how well you've progressed in your training, but if you want to wimp out then do as you wish."

"Really?"

"It doesn't really matter to me if you're afraid." She intentionally went in for a low blow on that one in hopes that it would convince him to go on with it but it turned out it wasn't enough. Fortunately for her someone else was about to come and do it for her. Negi flinched when he heard Ku-Fei calling to him.

'That's not good! She must still be holding something back from yesterday's class!' thought Negi as the Chinese girl ran to him.

"There go you, Negi! I look all over campus for you to speak with you!" She said to him panting.

"Really? Nobody told me you were looking for me."

"I must speak to you in private!" she placed a hand on his back and led him away from Evangeline to a far distance.

"What's the matter Ku-Fei?"

"You attending tournament?"

"Well I wasn't really thinking about it to tell you the truth."

"But you must attend. Must be there to represent master!" Ku-Fei said with a smug grin on her face. "I also need you for Kata of martial arts for other students during festival!"

"I messed up last time, remember?"

"You do better this time!" Negi tried to find a way out of it but she turned away and started to ran again. "Don't disappoint master, disciple!" Within a few seconds she was nothing but a blur behind the trees up ahead and it was too late to stop her. Things obviously weren't going his way today and he feared if he was unfortunate enough to come across Ayaka. She always had something planned for him to do with her. A tap on his shoulder pulled him out of his stupor and he turned to see Evangeline tapping her foot.

"What was that all about Negi?" she asked curiously.

"Oh...nothing really master." Negi lied.

"Is that so? Whatever she told you really changed your mood so it had to be something important. C'mon, I won't bite...too hard."

"No, really! I'm telling you the truth!" The young sorcerer saw that she wasn't buying the whole act and decided to make a run for it. "Oh I really should be going to check out how my students are doing on the haunted house right now!"

"I'll come with you then." Evangeline persisted.

"Don't worry about it Master! I'm sure they'll just end up annoying you like last time anyway!" Negi started to gradually move away from her but she grabbed on to his jacket.

"I'm coming." she growled but Chachazero pulled a small pellet out of her jacket and threw it on the ground. As soon as it made impact both magicians were covered in smoke and by the time it cleared up Evangeline found herself standing alone. "That petulant little puppet is going to pay for this! What the hell was that boy so nervous about anyway?" She straightened out her hair and crossed her arms childishly. "I might as well just pick up Chachamaru from the restaurant so I could take her to Chao and Hakase for a check up."

She made one more look around the to see if she could spot Negi running away but got no sign of him so she went on to do what she planned. As she passed near the Starbooks cafe, Takamichi stood up from his seat and walked with her.

"Good morning Evangeline-san." the teacher greeted her gently.

"You spying on me again Takamichi?" Evangeline asked.

"I guess you can say that." Takamichi replied with a chuckle. "I was waiting to see you so I could talk to you about the festival."

"If it has anything to do with the World Tree I don't intend to participate."

"Then I guess we'll take in Negi instead."

"What?"

"He's been training under you for quite some time already right?"

"Yes."

"So it won't be a problem! I see that you two have gotten closer over these few days so I figured you must have developed a trust in him. For you to be so close to him arouses some suspicion but I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

"What are you getting at?"

"Nothing at all. Just don't try anything funny during the festival and everything will be alright. We already have enough trouble with Chao Lingsen...the student you've been associating yourself with."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing yet."

* * *

Chachamaru wasn't sure what she was going to do while her counterpart was around Negi but it was driving her nuts. Last night odd feeling were welling up inside her that threatened to do some damage and it all seemed to have some relation with Chachazero being so close to the young sorcerer. Her radar was telling her that Negi was coming in this direction so she was sure to meet up with him. Sure enough she eventually saw him walking down her path in the crowd of students that were working on their attractions.

"Chachamaru-san?" Negi said her name in a questioning tone of voice. "I though you were over at Satsuki's restaurant."

"I finished my duties over there so I'm having a break." the android replied as she waited for him to get closer. She began walking with him, eyeing Chachazero every few seconds as they walked on. "I thought mistress Mcdowell was with you."

"I...er...it's a long story see?" said Negi awkwardly.

"I see." said Chachamaru. "You are going to see the rest of your students?"

"Yes. I want to see how they're progressing with their festival attractions. It wouldn't be nice if a teacher didn't encourage his student's while they worked."

"Do you mind if I accompany you?"

"N-no." Negi replied before coming to a realization. "Hey Chachamaru, you aren't going to do anything for the festival?"

"...I am holding a tea ceremony."

"That sounds pretty nice. I've never seen you at your tea cermo-uff!" Negi bumped in to somebody before he could finish.

"Watch where you're going sir." Negi looked up to see that he bumped in to a blonde young woman sporting what seemed like a nurses outfit. She had the nurse's cap to top it off and a young red-headed girl stood beside her holding a broom.

"Sorry about that!" he apologized to her with a bow.

"Just watch yourself next time." Were her only words before she continued walking past him with the girl following not far behind. Negi knew they weren't any normal students because they dressed differently and he sensed their magical aura's but he decided not to blow their cover in front of anyone, much less get involved with them.

"They weren't from this campus." said Chachamaru observantly.

"That's right." Negi replied.

"She was kind of hot wasn't she big brother? I guess it was just luck that you managed to bump it to her, huh?" Chamo teased lecherously.

"Cut it out Chamo-kun!" Negi said in embarrassment.

"That was no mere boy Mei." Takane said to her underling. "I'm sure that won't be the last time we see him...or that android."

**_To be continued..._**


	6. Make me Soar

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Six: Training Days_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

"One...two...three!" Negi counted as he did push ups in Evangeline's court yard. The vampiress watched him from her seat nearby and frowned when she noticed he was slowing down. If Takamichi was going to recruit the young magister for watch duty during the festival she was going to make him ready. No apprentice under her was going to embarrass her in front of the other magisters. 

"Pick up the pace boy!" Evangeline barked out at him making the boy do exactly that. He nodded quickly and started pumping faster until she nodded to tell him that he was going at an acceptable speed. "I want at least one hundred push ups before the next minute, is that understood?"

"Y-yes Master! Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven." Negi was forming a nice little puddle directly under his forehead while he was progressing. Chachazero and Chamo watched from beside him cheering him on the entire time. Something the vampiress was starting to get annoyed from.

"Would you two be quiet?! That isn't exactly helping him." scolded Evangeline, slamming her right hand on the table. Chamo stayed quiet for the sake of his own life while Chachazero naturally took the bold path and continued her little praise dance.

"You can do it master Negi! Through blood and sweat your greatness shall be realized!" the puppet cheered on. She ended her little dance with an elaborate sword dance that entranced the watching ermine. Needless to say, Evangeline was just about ready to dispose of the twisted puppet for good. She turned to the side when she noticed Chachamaru standing beside her with a tray in her hand.

"Your coffee mistress Mcdowell." the android said with her usual bow.

"Finally." was Evangeline's only response as she snatched the awaiting cup off the tray. She noticed it was a coffee from the Starbooks cafe and regarded Chachamaru with a puzzled expression. "This isn't the home made brew?"

"You and Negi-sensei are on a fast from blood mistress. The homemade brew is made with just that very ingredient."

"Oh...I see." the vampiress replied, her voice holding the slightest hint of disappointment. "That full moon better come soon or I'll drain someone before the fast is over." She looked at the stopwatch in her hand and saw that a minute passed.

"How many have you done Negi?!"

"One hundred and fifty-four master!" Negi replied before going back to counting before he lost track.

"Not bad disciple. Not bad at all." a smirk graced her lips at that moment. "Now stop and get to doing your laps around the courtyard!"

"Yes master!" Negi replied. He quickly got to his feet and ran to the end of the courtyard before starting his laps. Chachamaru watched this with a face of indifference but her thoughts were of a rather different nature. She was worried about how all this strenuous work was going to affect the young teacher's ability to teach.

"Perhaps Negi-sensei should take a break mistress." Chachamaru suggested politely but the vampiress didn't even turn to respond to her words. It was quite clear to the android that she was going to have to repeat herself a little louder. "Perhaps Negi-sensei should take a break!"

Evangeline turned around slowly and asked, "Now why would you suggest that, Chachamaru?"

"Negi-sensei must teach a class in a few minutes."

"He'll have to adapt. I had a conversation with Takamichi yesterday regarding the Campus festival. He intends to recruit Negi so the boy will need all the preparation I have to offer him. If he cannot take it then I doubt he'll be able to accept the responsibility."

"Understood."

"Which reminds me..." Evangeline said before taking a generous sip of her coffee. "You weren't at the cafe yesterday when I came to pick you up. Where were you?" The android had a feeling if she mentioned she was hanging out with Negi there would be some aroused suspicion.

"Feeding the kittens." Chachamaru replied, dead-panned.

"Is that so?" the vampiress quipped not sounding quite convinced. She wasn't exactly oblivious to the gradual changes in Chachamaru, and if she pressed any further on the matter she could have sworn the android just lied to her.

_Somebody is beginning to amaze me..._

* * *

_My body is beginning to ache like crazy! I can barely lift my arm to write on the board. _Negi thought to himself as he slumped in his chair awaiting his students to pour in to the classroom. He wasn't sure why his master suddenly decided to push their training to such an early time but it was sure to clash with his busy schedule. This was especially true when he needed all the energy possible to deal with his wild students. 

"Not good." Negi muttered when Asuna entered the classroom without Konoka. That could only mean that there was nobody to hold back her temper...that wasn't very safe.

"There you go, squirt." Asuna said, approaching the desk rather quickly. She slammed her hand on his desk right beside his face and leaned over until her chin was directly above his head. There was something about meetings like this that he really had to learn to avoid. "I woke up this morning to find you nowhere in sight. Do you mind telling me where you've been?!"

"I just came from Eva-san's house." Negi replied, the fatigue he felt slipping through his words. "I'm sorry for not telling you but I didn't want to wake you." He turned his head slightly so he could look at her. "Were is Konoka?"

Asuna placed a hand on his head and scratched it lightly. "Don't worry about her squirt. I want to know why you're suddenly spending so much time with that wicked girl. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you trying to keep away from her? What you're doing now is the total opposite!"

"I'm in need of more training." Negi replied. Not exactly the truth but then again it wasn't much of a lie either. Asuna regarded him with a skeptic expression after hearing his reply but the sound of the other girls entering the room forced her from going any farther with the conversation. She turned to walk to her seat and caught a glimpse of Evangeline and Chachamaru walking to their seats in the back.

_Evangeline is making it a habit to be present in class now. _Asuna looked over her shoulder where Negi was composing himself for class and raised an eyebrow suspiciously. _I'm beginning to think that something is up. Negi is beginning to act pretty odd himself._

"I don't need Asuna to know about what's really going on." Negi mumbled as he kept his eyes of the red-head's fleeting form. "Life might get even more difficult that way." He took a deep breath to let his mind clear itself and opened one of the drawers of his desk to get some chalk only to have it handed to him when he opened it. He took note of this after blinking a few times and flinched when he saw Chachazero lying on her back inside.

"Does master Negi need any more assistance?" the puppet asked hopefully. Negi glanced at his awaiting class to see if they were growing impatient before turning his attention back to his familiar.

"What are you doing here?!" he snapped at her in a whisper.

"Helping master."

"Just...just stay put alright?" Negi asked of her pleadingly. He seriously didn't need any of this so early in the morning. He already went through Evangeline's exercise regiment and the last thing he needed was to strain himself. When the puppet nodded he closed the drawer shut and turned back to his class.

"Er...good morning class." He greeted all of the girls, lacking his usual morning cheer. "We're going to...ow..." He rubbed his sore shoulder with his hand and flexed it. "We'll just continue on with our lesson in Chapter seven."

The girls brought out their books and turned to the pages for him as he positioned his stool next to the board and stood on it. He placed the chalk in his hand against the board to write when he suddenly noticed how much lower he had to place his hand. "Did I grow an inch?" He thought aloud. After taking some time to think about it he heard Asuna clear her throat and shrugged off the thought.

"Alright then." Negi started off as he got off the stool after he finished writing down some things on the board. "Who wants to read the first sentence?" There was a silence in the class after he asked for a volunteer. Clearly most of the girls were still a little shy when it came to reading so he was just going to have to pick someone himself. His eyes wandered over the rows of students and he was considering picking on Asuna as usual but he saw an arm up in the back row.

"Chachamaru-san?" Negi said in a questioning voice. "You want to read the sentence for us?"

"Yes sensei." the android replied with a slight bow of her head. Negi observed Evangeline steal a glance at her seatmate and turned away quickly when he saw his master turn her attention to him. Unfortunately at this point when their bond was developing so well his chances at avoiding any confrontations with her, even in the confines of the classroom was quite impossible. He could almost feel her conscience tugging at his mind.

"Howard helped, Hailey handle the horses grooming." Chachamaru read aloud in her usual monotonous tone of voice. She bowed her head after reading to show him that she was done reading.

"That was very good Chachamaru!" Negi complimented her with a smile. If it was possible the android would have been blushing in her seat.

_Words of praise from sensei. I...enjoy it. _thought Chachamaru, glancing over to her mistress to check if her behavior was arousing any suspicion from the tiny vampire. Evangeline rested her chin in her hand with one eye closed as a skeptical expression washed over her face. She looked to Negi and the boy tensed up.

"I'll read the next sentence boya." Evangeline volunteered with a feral grin.

"S-sure."

"The upkeep of the ranch was in top condition." the vampiress read. She looked to Negi expectantly waiting for some sort of response and inwardly frowned when the young magister simply looked back nervously. "Well, aren't you going to praise your student 'sensei'?" she asked rather forcefully.

"I-I'm sorry. Th-that was really good Eva-san!" Negi quickly responded much to Asuna's curiosity. She just couldn't understand what was going on right now. Why did Evangeline read in the first place? She never found it necessary to put any effort in class so why did she feel the need to speak up now?

"I'll read to next sentence." Asuna volunteered to Negi's relief. He took a seat behind his desk, wincing at the soreness he felt in his body and nodded to Asuna for her to continue. After a while he didn't hear anything come out of the red-heads mouth as the fatigue started to get to him. He was beginning to feel weak.

_'I need to get some sleep.' _Negi looked at Evangeline and Chachamaru. Both of them were looking directly at him. _'Do they notice how tired I look? I must look pathetic then.'_

_'You sure do disciple.' _Evangeline told him telepathically.

_'Master?'_

_'Keep in mind that we are going on with our training tonight so get as much rest as you need before then.'_

_'Are you serious?'_

_'Do I look like I'm joking?'_

_'I don't need this.'_

_'YES YOU DO! SO DON'T THINK ABOUT SKIPPING OUT ON ME TONIGHT!' _The vampiress' voice suddenly took on a frightful commanding tone that sent the young teacher wide-awake. The girls saw Negi jump in his seat with wide eyes and giggled amongst themselves. Chachamaru on the other hand could almost be seen frowning.

* * *

"Are you experiencing any difficulty sensei?" Chachamaru asked Negi as he gathered his things in to his bag with the help of Chachazero. 

"No...I'm..." Negi took a moment in between his words to yawn. "Just fine Chachamaru." He finished packing his things and Chachazero climbed up his arm to take her place on his shoulder. The look she directed at Chachamaru was pretty possessive. Much like the little puppet was trying to ward her counterpart away from Negi.

"You look very tired, and you still must attend training with the mistress, am I right?"

"Yeah."

"Perhaps you should rest in the house." Chachamaru offered.

"No, that's alright. I don't want to impose or anything." Negi said with a bow.

"Not at all sensei. I believe the mistress was actually considering it."

"What?" he blurted out. "Are you sure the master even mentioned anything like that?!"

"Yes." Chachamaru answered.

"That's kind of unexpected..." Negi fidgeted with his hands awkwardly as he considered taking up the offer but his attention shifted away from Chachamaru when he found Hakase standing at the door. She grinned, looking at Chachamaru and said, "So this is where you've been, Chachamaru."

"Hakase-san?" the android regarded her questionably.

"I was looking all over for you. I didn't realize that you stayed behind to speak with Negi-kun." Hakase approached her and examined her with a sharp eye. "Well, anyway Mcdowell wants me to take a look at you so could you just come with me over to the lab?" She cocked her head to the side when Chachamaru glanced at Negi.

"He could come too if you want."

"I..." Chachamaru looked hesitant as she looked back at Negi for some sort of answer.

"I'll go if you want." He offered with a smile.

"You should be honored!" said Chachazero. "You should not reject the master's offer."

"Chachazero?" Hakase raised an eyebrow at the sight of the puppet sitting on Negi's shoulder. "What is she doing with you Negi-kun? I thought Mcdowell usually kept her around."

"Negi is my new master." Chachazero replied.

"Really...that's weird." the spectacled girl said with a quizzical expression gracing her face.

_You've no idea. _Negi thought sarcastically, looking aside.

**_---------------------------_**

**_Later at the Lab..._**

**_---------------------------_**

Chachamaru sat at the lab chair nervously under Negi's watchful eye. When they were back at the classroom she believed it to be all right for Negi to tag along but now she felt the total opposite. She couldn't bear to be stripped down and opened up in front of Negi of all people. She didn't care for others to look at her while she was going under the examination process but the young magister was a completely different story.

"Oh, they're going to open her up master!" Chachazero squealed with glee much to Chachamaru's irritation, but what made her feel even more terrible was the fact that Negi laughed at the puppets cuteness. The android wasn't sure what Negi liked in the sadistic little puppet but it was beginning to make her feel pangs of jealousy if such a thing was possible for her.

"Er, settle down Chachazero." Negi ordered the puppet softly as he patted her on the head. The puppet nodded and settled down, leaning against his head affectionately.

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"When are we going to hunt for blood?" Chachazero asked, making Negi feel slightly uncomfortable. That was the last thing he needed to be thinking about. "I'm in the mood to see blood. Red drips of precious blood."

"Um...Chacha-"

"Blood is wonderful. Don't you think?" the puppet cut him off. Negi could feel his fangs begin to pulsate for freedom.

"Let's change the subject, huh?" Negi almost pleaded. The sound of light footsteps turned his attention away from the puppet before she could even begin her conversation with him. Hakase walked in to the lab, changed out of her school uniform and in to some casual clothes and a white lab jacket. She kept it open so her Einstein shirt was visible.

"I'm back." she announced cheerfully, adjusting her glasses. "Sorry if I took a little long changing but I just can't stand working in my uniform." She reached for a pin-like technical instrument on her lab table and asked Chachamaru to bow her head. When the android did as she was told the science prodigy examined the top of Chachamaru's head before gasping in delight when she found what she was looking for and sticking the pin in to her cranium.

"There we go!" Hakase exclaimed as the top of Chachamaru's head slid open to reveal an artificial brain. The girl snatched her lap top off a desk nearby and set it down on the lab table beside Chachamaru. She connected a cable to the drive of the lap top and inserted the other end of the cable in to a slot on the artificial brain before performing a scan.

"So what are you doing Hakase?" Negi asked curiously.

"I'm doing a scan of Chachamaru's database to check for any errors are damaged fragments. If you want you can come closer to observe!" She urged him on excitedly but Negi declined the offer.

"I'm good watching from here."

"Master is much more interested in the real deal!" Chachazero politely added. "Simple circuits and wires don't compare to the beauty of bloody organs and bo-" she stopped in mid-sentence when Negi placed his hand on her head lightly.

"I-I think that's enough." Negi told her calmly, almost gagging from a metal image that popped in his mind. At this point he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get used to his familiar's twisted personality so easily.

"We're done!" Hakase announced, taking the cable out of Chachamaru's database drive. She poked the same spot again with the pin and the android's head slid shut once again. "Now let's do a body check."

"Right now?" Chachamaru asked much to Hakase's puzzlement.

"Yes, right now." she replied with an eyebrow raised. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, however..." Chachamaru's eyes darted to Negi for a second before returning to Hakase and the scientist caught on quickly. Unfortunately Hakase wasn't one to take things very confidentially.

"Don't worry about, Negi watching!" she told Chachamaru with pat on the shoulder.

"But-"

"Trust me."

"...Okay." Chachamaru complied, feeling a little shame as she stripped off her dress shirt, revealing her polished chest. Negi couldn't help giving in to the reflex of turning away but when Hakase giggled at him he turned back to watch just in time to see her press a spot on Chachamaru's chest that caused it to open with a hiss of steam.

_This is so embarrassing for me._ _If my body was capable I probably would have taken the shade of crimson by now. _Chachamaru stole a glance at Negi before averting her eyes and closing them. _Must Hakase make me do such things in front of sensei? I feel somewhat peeved at her for violating my privacy._

Evangeline's face came to mind...

_Did the mistress order this purposely. Did she know that sensei would come along to accompany me?_

"Chachamaru, are you okay?" Hakase asked in worry as she observed the android's gears functioning at a faster rate. The amount of energy being built up by the increase of performance was causing the insides to heat up. "Relax, will ya?"

"I...will do what I can." Replied Chachamaru.

* * *

**_Later at Evangeline's residence..._**

"Were you uncomfortable with me watching?" Negi asked Chachamaru as they both went up the steps to the door.

"...Yes." Chachamaru answered hesitantly.

"I'm sorry." he apologized.

"Don't be sensei." she assured him with a bow of her head. She opened the door and allowed him to walk in before closing the door behind her. "If you wish to rest on the couch before your session with the mistress please do so."

"Are you sure she won't mind?" Negi asked, setting his bag and his staff down.

"I would not have offered unless I was sure sensei." Chachamaru replied as she headed in to the kitchen to start with her duties. The young magister waited for the door to the kitchen to close and sat on the couch, allowing himself to get comfortable.

"I will not allow anyone to disturb you master." Chachazero declared to him. She took her place on the coffee table and stood there staring back at him.

"Th-thanks Chachazero." Negi thanked her as he laid down. He looked up at the ceiling to get his mind off how oddly his familiar was looking at him and gradually began to close his eyes until he was finally asleep. Moments after he was out Chachamaru stepped out of the kitchen and quietly took a seat at the couch across from the one Negi was sleeping on and watched him.

"Don't disturb the master." Chachazero warned her.

"I don't intend to." Chachamaru retorted.

"Then what are you here for?"

"To watch him."

"That's my job." Chachazero snapped at her, pointing one of her blades at her larger counterpart.

"I don't watch him because it is my job."

"Then why?"

"...I don't know." Chachamaru replied before looking to the top of the stair steps when she heard the light step of her mistress. Evangeline's hair was messy from just waking up and her eyes were out of focus. After staring out in to the distance for a few seconds Evangeline looked down at Chachamaru and ordered, "Have some tea ready for me when I'm done with my shower."

"Yes, mistress." Chachamaru replied with a bow. The tiny vampire almost left it at that but she did a double take and set her sights on Negi's sleeping form. Almost instantly her lips curled in to a grin.

"He made himself pretty comfortable don't you think?"

"Sensei was feeling tired from his exercise this morning mistress. It would seem he still has not found a way to deal with his nocturnal nature as of yet."

"He hasn't even gotten past the second stage of his turning." Evangeline giggled. "I'm going to have fun with him with he wakes up." With those last mischievous words she headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

"Very well." Chachamaru stood up from the couch and headed back in to the kitchen. She prepared some of the regular brew in a pot and waited. When it was done she poured it in to a tea pot and prepared the tea set. When she was done she headed out in to the living room again to find Evangeline dressed in her cloak leaning over Negi. The vampiress noticed Chachamaru walking to the table to set down the tray in her hand and stepped away from the boy quickly.

"He looks a lot like his father." Evangeline commented. "When I'm done with him he'll surpass that damn, Nagi." The vampiress nibbled her thumb unconsciously puncturing it and cursed when she realized what she did.

"Do you want a napkin mistress?" Chachamaru asked.

"No, I'm fine." Evangeline quickly replied. "I think my thirst is catching up with me. This fast from blood is starting to make me grow impatient." She looked at Negi sleeping peacefully on her couch and shot a telepathic "alarm" into his mind. Not even a second later Negi awoke from his sleep looking startled and confused.

"M-master?!" he stammered when he saw her looking at him. He quickly sat up properly and straightened himself out for her. "I-I'm sorry master! I guess I must have dozed off. I was feeling pretty tired earlier."

"That's because you still haven't gotten a grasp over your nocturnal nature, boya." Evangeline walked around the table between them to reach him and cupped his chin in her hand. "Open your mouth disciple."

"Alright." Negi complied, doing as she asked of him. He opened his mouth and she took a good look at his teeth. She smiled when she saw how much his fang grew and she patted him on the head.

"You've come a long way since before, boya." Evangeline commented. "By this point I think we can begin calling upon your dark power. It may not be nearly as developed as my own but if we train now you'll blow those other Magisters away."

"What do you mean, other magisters?" Negi asked.

"I'm referring to the others who are coming for the festival Negi. You see I had a talk with Takamichi the other day and it looks like they're planning on using you for the festival."

"Me?"

"Yes you and I'm not going to have my disciple embarrass me by displaying simple arts of light and wind magic." Evangeline accepted the awaiting tea from Chachamaru. "We are going to focus on developing your dark aura. Only then will you be able to manipulate the darkness as I can." Evangeline sipped some tea, frowning slightly at the absence of blood.

"D-dark arts? Isn't it dangerous?"

"Don't be so scared, boya. A vampire should embrace the darkness...which reminds me. Before we do that I'm going to give you a lesson in flying." the vampiress set down her cup. "Are you excited?"

"Y-you mean fly without my staff?!" Negi asked excitedly. "Are you serious?!"

"Don't lose your head over it boy." Evangeline replied, spreading out her cloak to reveal her usual black laced attire for training. She headed to the way outside to the courtyard and stopped at the door to look back at Negi. "Whenever you're ready just come out and meet me."

Negi practically jumped from his seat on the couch and headed off to meet his master. This left Chachazero and Chachamaru alone in the same room which...ahem...wasn't really the best of ideas. Chachamaru looked back at the door before looking back at the tea tray that was resting on the table and took a seat.

"Master seems quite excited to fly." Chachazero observed. "Eva-san looked kind of excited herself. You don't suppose she is taking a lighting to, Master Negi do you?"

"Perhaps she is." Chachamaru replied monotonously before averting her eyes. "...And what of I?"

Evangeline basked in the moonlight and sighed, allowing her fangs to glint from the nocturnal bath. She turned to Negi who seemed to be resonating with the moon vibes as well and clasped her hands together in a pleased gesture. "That's right boya. The time of darkness is our sanctum and it's because of our natural calling to the darkness that we have trouble resting in the evening."

"Was that your reason for being absent to class in the past?" asked Negi.

"Of course not kid." The vampiress replied with an evil smirk. "I just don't see any reason to attend classes. It bores me."

"Oh..." Negi sounded a tad bit disappointed with her answer. "...Does my teaching bore you Master? Because, if you want I can make it m-more interesting for you!"

"Really?" Evangeline asked sounding rather unconvinced. She stare at her still bleeding thumb and sucked on it discreetly. Her eyes wandered over to Negi and she licked her lips. "You wouldn't want to hear what interests me Negi-sensei." A seductive tone was laced with her voice, causing a blush to wash over Negi's face. The tiny vampire approached him and stared in to his eyes with a frightful glow.

"...M-master? Why are you looking at me like that?" the young magister asked nervously.

"Calm down boya. I'm not going to do anything to you. Now, flying is an ability vampires are endowed with, however, tapping in to that ability takes some time. I want you to learn this ability in one night."

"ONE NIGHT?"

"Yes. It came to me quite naturally and since you share my vampiric aura it should come to you just as easily. Now clear your mind!"

"Y-yes master!" Negi replied with a shiver.

"You have to close your eyes, boya!" She nodded her head when Negi closed his eyes for her. "Now concentrate on the wind. Can you do that?"

"How?"

"The same way you're able to conjure the wind element with your staff. Focus on that source of energy."

Negi nodded and concentrated on the feeling. Within a few passing seconds Evangeline to see all the blades of grass in the court yard lean in Negi's direction. The point of the wind energy started to gather at a single point in space; Negi himself.

"That's not bad Negi but if you intend to take off I advise you concentrate harder than that." Evangeline ran her hand over his eyes to open them. "You need to picture yourself in a situation that requires you to take off in an instant."

"...I'll try."

"...How about you let me help you with that?"

"What do you mean?" Negi asked...

...The smirk on Evangeline's face said it all...

"M-m-master! We're kind of HIGH!" Negi screamed, holding on to the vampiress as though she was the only thing keeping him alive, which wasn't quite far from the truth seeing as how it was a long way down. From the point Evangeline had them flying he could see all of Mahora campus. He trembled as he looked in to his master's face and asked, "W-what happens from here?"

"I drop you." Evangeline answered.

There was a silence...

"You drop me?"

"I drop you." she repeated herself.

"You drop me?"

"Exactly."

"And if I die?"

"Then you're incompetent." Evangeline loosed her grip on his waist and smiled.

"P-please don't do this!" Negi pleaded. "I don't think I can do this!" He held on to her tighter making the vampire blush lightly.

"This is the only way you can learn, disciple!" She gripped his hands and pried them of her waist causing him to dangle from her hands. Negi looked down and he almost went hysterical.

"Oh no! Don't-"

She let go...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Evangeline watched him plummet down below and went down after him like a bullet. She kept up with him so he could listen to her and said, "Remember what I told you!"

"OKAY, OKAY!" Negi blinked away the tears in his eyes and closed them.

"Don't close them you idiot! Concentrate!" She looked down and could see the top of the trees becoming visible. "Better hurry, boya!"

"I-I..." He looked down. "AHHHHHHHHHH! I-I'M TRYING!"

The ground started coming in fast!

"OH MY GO-" He suddenly felt Evangeline smash in to him like a bullet and he wasn't falling anymore. At that point he couldn't hold in his tears anymore. "I...I almost died."

"Because you were panicking too much, Disciple." Was Evangeline's only response.

"I guess I'm not cut out for this, Master." Negi told her in a whisper. He voice cracked as he spoke and he rested his head against her.

"Not cut out for this?!" She smacked him across his head. "Don't ever tell me that again, Negi! You're a fellow vampire now and I'm not going to let you get weak on me! Now pull yourself together!"

Y-yes master!" Negi cried out. It was at that point that he realized he had a great view of the campus again. He looked down before looking back at her and shivered involuntarily. "M-ma..."his voice died out in mid-sentence."...ster. What are...you doing?"

"Continuing."

"You're going to drop me again?!"

"Just clear your mind."

"What?!"

"Clear your mind."

"O-OKAY." He whimpered.

"You clear?" She asked.

"W-What?"

"I asked if you were clear!"

"Y-Yeah." Negi began to close his eyes for the drop.

"OPEN YOUR EYES!" Evangeline scolded.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!" Negi screamed.

"Let's do this!"

"OKA-"

She dropped him...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

Evangeline watched him plummet below again and smirked.

"I told him it took me a night...I think we'll be doing this all night.""

**_To be continued... _**


	7. A Refrain from Training

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Seven: Suspicion Zone_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

Two figures sat upon one of the bell towers of the campus. The moonlight bathed both of them as if to beckon them towards it for one last flight. Evangeline watched Negi from the corner of her eye panting as he tried to steady his heart from the frightful experience he had mere moments ago. Was she slightly angry with her disciple for not being able to take flight? Perhaps this was so but what filled her at the moment now was more like disappointment. Something about Negi Springfield always intrigued her from the moment she first dueled with him. He was quite powerful for a magister his age and despite the fact his victory over her a long time ago was due to unforeseen circumstances, he was able to keep his ground. So why was it that he couldn't fly for her?!

"So tell me Negi." The vampiress suddenly spoke to him. Negi turned to her slowly, a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead. "Why is it that you can't fly? What is hindering you from unshackling yourself from the restrictions your humanity binds you to?"

"I don't know master." Negi replied meekly, a look of shame plastered all over his face. A tear slipped down his cheek and Evangeline stood up and grabbed him by the back of his shirt to force him up to his feet.

"Crying doesn't solve anything, Negi!" Evangeline scolded him. "I'm going to have you flying before the end of this night. It's still quite young and I know you have he potential so if you think simple tears are going to let you off the hook, you're wrong." Evangeline frowned when she saw him trembling. He was still feeling sorry for himself.

"I don't want to disappoint you master but..."Negi wiped his nose. "...I'm just weak."

"I thought I told you to quit that."

"But-"

"I mean it kid. Stop feeling sorry for yourself right now." Evangeline sighed in aggravation. "We're going to take a different approach now."

"What do you mean?" Negi asked.

"Concentrate."

"Again?"

"Don't question me, boya! Just concentrate!" The vampiress watched him nod and she placed her fingertips on his forehead. _The boy is a natural hero so let's see what happens when I bring out those reckless qualities._ A grin found it's way on her lips as the world around them twisted and distorted.

Negi stepped away when he saw everything around them become distorted and gasped. Finally, Evangeline steeped away from her disciple and stepped up to the ledge of the bell tower top. She crossed her arms; her cape materializing in to a flock of bats that flew away, and turned back to Negi. "This is the final step I think you'll understand."

"Final step? What do you mean Eva-san?"

"I'm jumping this time." Evangeline answered without the slightest sign of hesitation.

"You're going to what?!"

"I'm jumping from the tower." Negi felt a shiver run down his spine when the vampiress grinned cockily. She took a step towards the ledge. "I expect you to save me before I hit the ground and fly me back to safety."

"Mast-"

"Don't fail me sensei."

"EVANGE..." Negi's jaw would have crashed through the ground if possible when the vampiress allowed herself to fall backwards off the tower top! He rushed to the ledge, looking down to see if she was playing a trick on him but she was actually falling to her death. "D-darn it! Grrrr..." Negi clenched his fist tightly, trembling violently. His feet simply wouldn't budge.

"Coward." Evangeline muttered, a bored expression gracing her face. "I guess I'll have to put off the ac-" Her voice died in her throat when she heard some sort of howl pierce the evening tranquility. Negi suddenly came at her like a bullet, his arms at his sides so he could catch up to her before she could get any farther.

"MASTER!" Negi cried out as he grabbed on to her, holding her close. "HANG ON!" Evangeline could see tears welling up in his eyes.

_I can't fail master now! I can't disappoint her like this! I can't disgrace myself like this! _Negi tightened his hold on her and screamed desperately as the ground started coming in fast. Evangeline's eyes glowed, as she was about to dissipate the illusion when to her shock they came to an abrupt stop. Her eyes stopped glowing and she look to Negi who had his eyes closed tightly. She could hear him grumbling under his breath incoherently the whole time they floated there.

"Hey, boya!" She called to him.

Negi opened one eye slowly, taking in the sight of his master's grinning face and opened the other before blinking a few times. "I-I...did it?"

"That's right."

"I did it?!"

"I said yes, you dunce." Evangeline replied. "Now, can you redirect our feet to the ground? We're upside down."

"O-Ok." Negi replied.

...Nothing happened.

"How do I do that?" the young magister asked.

"It's called mind power, boya. It isn't that hard."

"Alright." Negi had them turn upright again and he landed on the ground.

"See, I told you." She patted him on the head. "You could do it in one night if you had the right push. Now..." she snapped her fingers and Negi found himself back on top of the tower with her. Everything, however, was no longer warped and twisted. "...I remember telling you not to close your eyes."

"Th-that was all j-j-just an i-illusion?" Negi stammered in surprise. He walked over to the ledge of the tower and blinked. "That all didn't just happen."

"Oh, it happened alright, boya." Evangeline joined him near the ledge and shoved him off. Negi yelped in surprise but he stopped himself in mid-air. "Now do you think that was fake?"

"I'm flying!"

"You sure are." The vampiress said before frowning. Negi suddenly started to zip around like some wild bee in the spring season. All the while he was screaming his heart out in glee like some drugged wild child. "WOULD YOU STOP PLAYING AROUND!"

Negi stopped.

"Get back here disciple!" She ordered and he was back by her side without a second to spare. "You want the whole campus to hear you?!"

"I'm sorry master!" Negi quickly apologized with a bow.

"That chapter of our lives is over." Evangeline said with a relieved sigh before smirking. "You actually weren't that bad."

"Thank you master."

"Now fly me home." The vampiress ordered.

"You mean..."

"Did you hear me, boya?"

"U-um...yeah, I did." Negi approached her nervously. He slowly hefted her into his arms and raised an eyebrow when he realized she wasn't that heavy. "That's weird."

"What's weird?" Evangeline asked with a twitch.

"Nothing!" Negi replied quickly, hoping that she wouldn't probe his thoughts. He sighed in concentration and kicked off from the tower, flying in the evening sky. He closed his eyes for a moment as the wind flowed through his body and for a second he felt as though his body and soul were free. Evangeline watched his face as he closed his eyes and for the briefest of moments a genuine smile worked it's way across her lips.

_We're finally making some real progress here..._

* * *

**_The Next morning..._**

The piercing rays of the sun shone through the stained glass windows of the hall giving it a majestic appearance that made even Takane Goodman stop to admire the sight. Mei stood behind her, hands wrapped around her broom as usual and continued walking when her master went onward. She tried to keep a distance from the blonde magistress, however, due to her golden flowing locks. Takane and her underling finally reached the Headmaster's office door at the end of the hall and the older magistress knocked.

"This campus is impressive." Takane remarked in deep thought. "Don't you think, Mei?"

"I guess."

"It's too bad we're only here on business." Takane said with a sigh. She adjusted her cap and straightened out her dress before Takamichi opened the doors. The professor greeted them with his usual mellow smirk and allowed them to enter. There at the end of the room was the headmaster sitting on his large leather chair behind his desk. Behind the chair was a large circular glass window that allowed them a view of the campus; from the dorm rooms to the festive area near the Mahora Campus bridge. Beside the doors were long white staircases curving in to a second floor above that took up the top half of the large room. From below Takane and Mei could see a private library.

"Amazing." Mei said in a wondrous whisper as she observed the portraits of the other headmasters on the right side of the room that were on the left and right side of two double doors leading to another chamber within the room. The young magistress broke out of her daze when she realized her master took a few steps forward and took her respective place beside her.

"Good morning again, young Takane and Mei." The headmaster greeted them, one of his bushy eyebrows raising slightly so he could view them clearly with one eye. "I take it that you've settled down in one of the dorm rooms?"

"Yes, headmaster." Takane replied with a quick bow.

"Good, good." The headmaster hummed. "And Gandolfini?"

"I believe he is still on the search for Lingsen."

"I see." The headmaster stroked his chin and nodded. "Takamichi?" said the old man before staying silent for the rest of the meeting. The teacher nodded quickly with a slight chuckle and stepped in front of Takane and Mei.

"The meeting near the world tree will take place when Gandolfini and the others arrive here. Until then you two can do what you please as long as it doesn't interfere with the affairs of the students." said Takamichi. Takane chuckled softly after hearing the teacher and almost felt like rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry Mr. Takahata, sir. I assure you that the affairs of the students on this campus will do nothing to catch our interest. Not so much for us to feel the need to interfere anyway." Takane's right eyebrow twitched for a moment when a distant thought came to mind. "I have heard, however, that "Dark Evangel" herself resides on this campus."

"You've heard right Ms. Goodman, and I'm sure you also know the reason why?"

"Yes sir."

"So I advise you don't meddle with her affairs either." Takamichi raised any eyebrow when he felt a slight disturbance in the blonde magistress. "I seriously don't recommend it at all. Mcdowell outclasses any Wizard you've ever heard of."

"You mean with the disappearance of the "Thousand Master."

"That was...a special case." Takamichi replied hesitantly, feeling bad memories rise from the back of his mind.

"I hear that there are others here as well." Takane continued. "May I hear about my 'co-workers'?"

"There are some within the faculty, but don't worry about that. You'll meet them when the time comes..." Takamichi paused once again. "...However there is one amongst them that I should alert you about. He is a little reckless so I don't want you to be alarmed and start a scene should anything unusual come up."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Negi Springfield. He's a young magister who is very promising. He's the English form teacher of the school so he's pretty well known, even by the young women who attend Ursula Campus." Takamchi reached for the staff book on a shelf near the desk and opened it to find a picture of the young magister. When he found a photo he approached Takane and Mei to let them view it. At once, Takane's eyes widened in shock.

_This is the boy that bumped in to me a few days ago. I knew I felt an odd aura from him. He's a magister; a combat mage! _Takane's eyes examined the photo intensely before she pulled away. "So this boy is a magister. His face seems so familiar."

"Because he is Nagi Springfield's son." Takamichi spoke proudly. "He really does take from his father doesn't he?"

"He sure does..."

* * *

**_Turning to Negi..._**

Negi opened his eyes, seeing nothing more that blurry shapes and colors. He stretched with a yawn and accidentally rolled off the couch he was resting on, bringing the cover he slept with down to the cherry wood board floor with him. He let out a pained hiss as he rubbed the arm he fell on and tried to get in to focus.

"Good morning, Master Negi!" greeted Chachazero's mischievous voice from above. The boy blinked a few times to improve the focus of his vision and found his familiar looking down at him from the coffee table beside the couch. That's when he realized that he was on a wooden board floor. Asuna's dorm had a carpet, didn't? The dorm room wasn't exactly as big as the room he was residing in now either which could only mean that he wasn't in the dorm room!

"Oh no..." Negi gasped, stumbling to get back to his feet. He walked quickly to the window blinds near the door and opened them...which was a big mistake in itself. The rays of the sun hit him directly and his eyeballs shrunk to the size of small specks before the painful sensation struck him all at once! His hands slapped on to his face to shield his eyes and he fell backwards.

"Master!" Chachazero cried out, jumping from her spot on the table.

Chachamaru heard the thump from Negi's fallen form in the kitchen and stepped in to the living room quickly to find out what was the matter. At the sight of the rays shining on Negi's writhing body she was at the blinds in an instant to close them, almost kicking her smaller counterpart in the process.

"Sensei!" Chachamaru called to Negi as she got down on her knees to tend to him. She held him in her arms and awaited a response until Negi finally stopped twitching and opened his eyes to look at her with a meek grin.

"I'm sorry about that Chachamaru-san. I guess that was a stupid thing to do." Negi said with a forced chuckle.

"You're condition won't allow you to expose yourself to the light so early sensei. You must allow your body to adjust before you do that."

"I didn't really know that. I guess my body usually does that by the time I'm done washing up and getting dressed." Negi pushed his palms against the floor to lift him off the androids arms slightly. "I'm fine now."

"Perhaps you should rest a little longer until the mistress is awake." Chachamaru suggested.

"No. I better get outside and check on my students. It is my job as a teacher to see how they're doing with their projects." Negi got back to his feet with her help. "Besides, I have a feeling that Asuna-chan is going to be looking for me when she doesn't see me in her dorm room on a day off."

"Very well sensei." The android replied with a slight nod. "You don't wish for any breakfast?"

"I'll get something from Satsuki's."

"I am heading there right now." Chachamaru said rather suddenly. So sudden that it caught Negi off guard. "Would you mind if we..." She paused for a moment as if to consider her next words before continuing. "...walk there together?"

"I-I don't mind Chachamaru-san." Negi answered. He felt a pull on his sweat pants...where did those come from? He looked down at Chachazero who was trying to climb up the sweat pants he had on and reached down to pick her up and sit her down on his head.

_Did someone dress me to sleep last night? I don't even remember dozing off here or changing my clothes for that matter._

"You don't think Eva-san will mind if I shower here do you?" Negi asked.

"I don't believe she will sensei."

"Thanks!" He said with a quick bow. "Er...do you have any spare towels?"

"Yes. I will be right back with some right now." With that exchange Chachamaru headed away to the closet upstairs to find him what he required.

"Does master want me to help?!" Chachazero asked hopefully.

"Help with what?"

"Help with showering!"

"I-I don't really n-need any help Chacha-"

"I can scrub your back!" Chachazero cut him off.

"Well-"

"Rinse your hair of shampoo, maybe?"

"No, I'm fine." Negi finished, patting her on the head. Chachamaru came back down with a towel and handed it to him before saying, "The bathroom is in the mistresses room since she is the only one here who requires it."

"Oh really?" Negi asked before swallowing deeply. "A-are you sure she won't mind?"

"I am sure sensei." Chachamaru assured him.

"Alright then." Negi carefully took Chachazero off his head and set her down on the table much to the insane little puppet's dismay. "I'll be back then." He headed up the stairs before disappearing in to the hallway. The deeper he ventured in to the hall the darker it seemed to get. He wasn't sure why there were more rooms along the way as he searched for Evangeline's room but he didn't want to find out what they were for. He finally reached the room at the end of the hall, which was shrouded with a black curtain.

"This must be it." He said to himself as he slowly pulled the curtain to the side so he could step in. He was surprised to find that the room looked different from the time he last came inside. A black carpet covered the entire floor of the room, and a large shelf of books was at the corner of the room. There was a large dresser beside the closet and hear the window of the room was a large bed, perhaps slightly larger than a queen sized selection which was overshadowed by dark drapes with golden linings. There slept Evangeline, peacefully wrapped in crimson red covers that reminded Negi so much of blood. Weird plushies and teddy bears surrounded her along with heart shaped pillows.

_It feels a little eerie in here. T_hought Negi as he spied the bathroom from the corner of his eye. He focused back on the vampiress who didn't seem to sense his presence and walked to the bathroom ever so slowly in hopes that he wouldn't wake her. When he reached the bathroom he stepped inside and closed the door behind him carefully as to not make a sound.

"I feel like I'm violating her privacy." Negi said to himself with a sigh, his back to the door as he leaned back against it. His eyes zeroed in on the large shower before him and he hanged his towel on the bar beside the sink. "This is going to be awkward." He grumbled as he slowly stripped off the clothes he was dressed in. The cold air pierced his bare skin when he was completely nude and he quickly padded over in to the shower, closing the glass door when he was inside. The inside was huge enough for a couple to shower together in, and the floor had little chibi-bat floor pads so he wouldn't slip.

"Nice." He whispered in wonder. He walked to the hot and cold knobs under the showerhead and turned them to release the water. As soon as the cold water hit his skin he jumped back reflexively before balancing out the temperature and allowing the water to hit his entire body with a relaxing sigh. He ran his hands through his hair to get it out of his face and looked around for a bar of soap. Surprisingly enough he found two soap bars and a few wash scrubbers in the corner of the shower chamber. After grabbing them he scrubbed his body and rinsed himself.

A voice whispered to him in the shower mist...

"Huh?" Negi whipped around to see who spoke but saw no one there. After taking a moment to make sure no one else was in the shower chamber with him he opened the glass door slightly to see if anyone was outside and came face to face with Evangeline herself. To say that Negi was speechless would have been a simple play at words. There she was in her dark black robe; her hair a mess and her eyes squinting at him as her body fought away the morning daze. He opened his mouth to say something but now words were formed or heard. That's when he took that moment to pull his head back in and shut the glass door.

"Oh my gawd." Negi felt his heart beat accelerate as he took a few deep breaths to pace himself. Was she still out there just staring at the door or was she going to do something to him? Chachamaru said she wouldn't mind so he had no reason to be so uptight, right? So far his better instinct were not quite convinced that it was safe to step out right now.

"Negi? That you?" He heard Evangeline's voice on the other side of the glass door.

"...Um..." He had to clear his throat. "Y-yes master. It's me."

"You're awake pretty early, boya. You seem to have made yourself a bit comfortable in my home as well." The vampiress' voice held no malice or murderous intent much to her disciple's confusion. He would have expected her to be scolding him by now but her voice was simply calm and laced with curiosity.

"I'm sorry master!"

"...Sure you are." Was Evangeline's only reply before the glass door suddenly slid opened. The young magister almost lost consciousness when the vampiress walked in to the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. The smirk on her face made his heart race since he was well aware that she only did that when she was up to mischief. "Well, since you're here, I order you to scrub my back."

Negi merely looked back at her, blinking a few times as he covered himself...

"Hello, are you deaf? Grab the back scrubber!" She ordered.

"Y-yes master!"

* * *

**_Later after...ahem...that little mishap..._**

Kotaro ate his yakisoba slowly, stealing glances at Negi every few seconds as the boy looked in to the distance. He wasn't exactly sure what happened to the young teacher but at this point he could tell that it was Evangeline's doing. There was no one else on campus who could possibly leave Negi in such a distant state. Chachazero on the other hand didn't seem to mind that her master was behaving so oddly. In fact she was actually having fun poking at his cheeks and quoting war speeches as she moved Negi's lips to make it seem as though he was the one reciting them.

Satsuki finished preparing another dish and handed it to one of the waitresses to take it to one of the customers sitting at the tables. When she noticed Negi with the same look on his face when he first took a seat at the bar she decided to find out what was the matter. "Negi-sensei." she called to him but he made no response. There wasn't even a twitch from him as his familiar started to arch his eyebrows.

"Sensei." She placed her hands on both his shoulders and shook him back to reality. He blinked a few times, focusing on her after he was out of his stupor and she offered him a warm smile. "You've been sitting here so quietly for a long time since you arrived with Chachamaru. Is there anything wrong sensei or do you want your usual order?"

"Sure, I'll j-just have my usual." Negi replied with a stammer. Satsuki nodded and turned to head in to the kitchen but Negi stopped her for a moment. "Hey, did Asuna come by around here by any chance?"

"No." Satsuki replied.

"Thanks."

"No problem sensei." The girl headed back in to the kitchen and Chachamaru stepped out with a glass of water.

"Here sensei." Chachamaru handed Negi the glass of water. "Please have a drink. Your skin tone is pale. Did the mistress do anything to you as you showered?"

"HA! I knew this had something to do with the Evangeline!" Kotaro suddenly cried out as though he was part of the conversation the entire time. Then as if he was struck from behind he flinched and leaned over to his friend. " W-what does she mean by that? Why would that disturbing girl bother you while you showered? You were in her house or something?"

"I don't really want to get in detail about it." Negi replied weakly. Unbeknownst to the three, Takane and Mei just happened to be walking by just as the dog demon blurted out the vampiress' name. The blonde magistress stopped dead in her tracks, causing Mei to collide in to her.

"Did you hear that?" Takane asked her underling as she looked among the crowd for any suspicious customers. Her eyes widened when she got sight of Negi sitting in front of Chachamaru who stood behind the counter. She paid no attention to Kotaro despite the fact that he was the one who blurted out the words that caught her attention. "There's Negi-sensei now."

"Looks like him." Mei added on. "Are you going to greet him Takane-san?"

"Not yet Mei." Takane replied, spotting a vacant table amongst the other occupied tables. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah." Mei replied.

"Then let's have a seat, shall we?" The elder magistress suggested before leading Mei to the vacant table she spotted. Both girls took a seat and awaited someone to tend to them while they spied on Negi.

"I'm sorry sensei." Chachamaru apologized. "I did not think she would have bothered you."

"You best be." Chachazero scolded her as she unsheathed her two blades, however, Negi stopped his familiar from exercising her bloodlust yet again.

"It's alright Chachamaru-san. None of it was your fault."

"I still don't understand what she did to you." said Kotaro. "Anyway I guess it must be tough to be that Eva's disciple. Lately though, you've been acting kind of weird Negi. I swear, that vampire must be driving you batty or something." His use of the word "Batty" again made Negi wish the dog demon would stop with the pun already.

"It's a little rough." Negi replied.

"Master Negi can handle hell itself!" Chachazero declared.

"What's with that creepy little puppet?" Mei asked Takane with a shiver. "It kind of resembles that waitress behind the counter."

"...Evangeline is known as a puppet master. Perhaps the puppet accompanying Negi-sensei must be a gift from her of some sort. Nevertheless this shows that our fellow magister is involved with that dangerous wizard."

"But what would someone like him be doing with someone like 'her'?" Mei fiddled with a lock of her red hair. "It seems kind of weird to me."

"As odd as it seems we can't look past the evidence. From here I can't really sense his magic aura...either he's really weak or his aura can't be read so easily." Takane rested her chin in her hand in deep thought. She had to admit that the boy looked adorable in his green suit and tie. He didn't look like the type "Dark Evangel" would be interested in.

"So have you decided on the tournament yet?" Kotaro inquired after he swallowed some noodles.

"Ku-fei-san seriously wants me to participate so I have to." Negi replied with a woeful sigh.

"Awesome! Now we can finally have that re-match we've been holding out on."

"I guess."

"I can't hold in my excitement!" Chachazero exclaimed happily. "I can already see the blood shed. The screams of pain! Master Negi must not keep me from watching him dominate in this event!" Chachazero practically danced with glee.

"Negi...you seriously need to return that creepy little thing from where you got it." Kotaro advised in horror.

"Master must stop associating himself with such an flee-bitten stray." the puppet quipped, breaking the straw on the camel's back, so to speak. Kotaro gaped at the sadistic little puppet for a few seconds before he suddenly launched himself at poor Negi to rip Chachazero to shreds.

"LET ME AT IT, NEGI!" Kotaro bellowed, alerting most of the customers. "I SWEAR, I'VE HAD IT ALREADY!"

"Calm down, Kotaro-kun!" Negi cried out, trying to get a good grip at his friend's clawing hands before he could cause an accident. Suddenly without warning a hand grabbed ahold of Kotaro's shirt collar and pulled him away from Negi roughly.

"Causing trouble already, I see." Asuna said in irritation, still holding a firm grip on the dog demon so he wouldn't let loose. Konoka and Setsuna stood beside the red-head waving at Negi while Chamo rested on her shoulder. When Kotaro finally calmed down she got in between him and Negi. "Now, as for you Negi, we seriously need to talk about your absence as of recently."

"Asuna-chan. It's a long story really-"

"I already know that it concerns Mcdowell." Asuna growled her arms crossed in an intimidating fashion. She looked to Chachamaru and asked, "What has Evangeline been putting him through?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary for her, I would assume." Chachamaru replied, dead-panned.

"I'm going to have a word with her."

"I don't think you should Asuna." Negi stopped her.

"Why not squirt? Why are you always on her side anyway?! Do you enjoy what she does to you?" Asuna asked in perturbation. She didn't really get what was going through the boy's head anymore.

"I don't believe what you're doing is wrong Asuna, however, I would agree with Negi-sensei on this one." Setsuna intervened with a nod of her head.

"You too, Setsuna?" Asuna asked in confusion.

"It seems that Evangeline is pretty popular among the students here." Takane deducted from her observations on the conversation so far.

"Didn't Takamichi-sensei say not to meddle with affairs?" Mei questioned.

"I'm not doing anything of the sort, Mei!" Takane retorted.

"You're practically spying on Negi-sensei. You haven't even introduced yourself to him."

"Quiet you." Takane shushed her underling with a finger at her lips. "I'll introduce myself to him when the time is right."

"Here is your food sensei." Satsuki told the young teacher as she rested his plate in front of him with a pair of chopsticks. Negi nodded and parted his eating utensils before digging in, all the while trying to ignore Asuna's angry glare.

"Master doesn't need help with his food?" Chachazero asked, tapping her two blades together for some emphasis. Negi shook his head, a bead of sweat trailing down the side of his forehead. The tension in the air was seriously beginning to get to him.

"No, I'm fi-"

"Would you stop ignoring me?!" Asuna cried out before he could finish. "What's going on here Negi? Why don't you talk to me anymore? I don't even get to wake you up in the morning anymore." Asuna placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair. "We're partners, aren't we?"

Chamo crossed his arms together and nodded his head knowingly with a chuckle. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're starting a profession of lov-"

**_SQUEAKY!_**

"Best not to let your thoughts roam any further, ermine." Asuna growled as she squeezed Chamo between her fingers.

"Yeah...I under...stand." Chamo managed to squeak. "It's...c-cool."

"Scary girl." Kotaro whispered to Negi from aside. "I can understand why you're staying away from her."

"No, no!" Negi hissed. "It's not like that at all!"

"Lively bunch, they are." Mei commented to her superior.

"My thoughts exactly, but I still don't see where Evangel-"

"What a lively start to the day, hmm?" a dark voice chimed from the crowd. Takane and Mei took note of the change in Negi's demeanor as soon as the voice was heard and started to get the feeling something was going down. Evangeline combed through the crowd wearing clothes similar to that of some gothic doll and made her way to the bar where Negi and the others were hanging out. Almost immediately, Takane and Mei felt violent chills run through their entire bodies.

"H-hello, master." Negi greeted the vampiress.

"Likewise boya." Evangeline greeted back before raising an eyebrow. Almost as though Negi read her thoughts, he stood up from his seat and offered it to her. "Thanks." She said with a grin as she took the seat offered to her.

"Good morning mistress." Chachamaru greeted her. "I will get you something to drink." With that the android went in to the kitchen where she was out of sight. Evangeline turned to Asuna who stood beside her in wait and asked, "So the guardian is here to check on her roommate?"

"Yes. It's not like I get to see him as much anymore since you started pushing him harder." Asuna retorted. "Every time he's teaching in class he's practically drained!"

"I know." Evangeline replied somewhat cheerfully. "I have that effect on most people."

"Don't play game with me, Eva."

"I don't play games with annoying brats."

"What have you two been doing?"

"Training, not that it's really any of your business." Her lips curled in to a smirk. "Are you jealous?"

"O-Of course not!" Asuna blushed furiously. She whipped around when she heard Konoka and Setsuna murmuring amongst them and they both went dead silent. "Why does everyone ask me that?" The red-head covered her face to hide the blush that blossomed and felt like disappearing. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around shyly to see Takamichi standing beside her. Konoka and Setsuna were behind him.

"Quite some commotion here." The gentle mage said with a smirk. His eyes stopped upon Evangeline and Negi. "Good morning you two."

"Likewise Takamichi. What brings you here?"

"I just felt like stopping for a drink." The vampiress caught him steal a glance to the side, and tried to follow it but she wasn't sure what he directed his attention to. Takane and Mei on the other hand took that as their cue to leave the scene before they could get in trouble. Asuna seeing that Takamichi didn't have a seat grabbed ahold of Kotaro and yanked him off his seat!

"What's the big id-mph!" Asuna clasped a hand over his mouth to muffle any more words.

"Here is a seat s-sensei!" she blurted out, getting his attention.

"Thank you Asuna." Takamichi said with a smile. He took the seat beside Evangeline and Satsuki approached the counter to take his order while Chachamaru came from out back and brought the vampiress her drink. Negi on the other hand found this as the perfect time to make his escape.

"Well then!" Negi said loudly, getting the other's attention. "I better check on my students now."

"Qualities of a good sensei, Negi." Takamichi complimented.

"But you haven't finished your food disciple." Evangeline reminded him, with a raised eyebrow.

"That's alright! I'm not really that hungry anymore." With that final exchange Negi was off running like white rabbit.

* * *

"It's clear to me now that Negi-sensei is very much involved with "Dark Evangel"!" Takane declared with a haughty grin. "If Takamichi hadn't shown up we might have learned a bit more of their connection. Gandolfini might want to hear about this."

Mei rolled her eyes. They sat at the table the entire time and yet no one came over to serve them anything.

"Well, there goes Mr. Negi right now." Mei informed Takane, pointing at the young teachers fleeting form as he tried to put as much distance between him and the food court as he possibly could. She wasn't sure why he was running though. "What do you think he's late for?"

"He's a suspicious character. And for him to run when Takamichi showed up must mean something."

"Maybe you're looking in to this a little too much."

"Nonsense, Mei. Let's see what he's up to."

"Yes ma'am."

**_-----------------------------------------_**

**_At The Haunted House set up..._**

**_-----------------------------------------_**

"Here is a face we haven't seen in a while." Kaede said aloud when she saw Negi strolling up to the haunted house. He was breathing rather hard so she figured he ran to their project due to circumstances he probably didn't want to explain to them. Nodoka set down her hammer and joined Kaede at the entranceway to the haunted house and yelped when she saw Negi.

"S-sensei!" She squeaked shyly before running the other way. Instantly, Yue and Haruna came from out of nowhere and restrained her before she could get any farther.

"Where are you going Nodoka?!" Haruna demanded. "This is your chance! Ask him out to the festival!"

"I can't d-do it!" the bookworm cried out.

"You can do this! We'll even come with you!"

"Raaaaaaaaaah!" Nodoka broke free and dashed away as though her very life depended on it. Haruna and Yue simply sighed and regarded today as another failed attempt. At this rate they were going to have to search all of Library island for her if they wanted to see her again before midnight. Ku-Fei heard the commotion and stepped out from behind the wall tiles she was putting up, hammer in hand.

"What is the problem? Why bookstore run before work is done?" The Chinese girl asked.

"Negi-sensei is here." Yue replied much to Ku-fei's excitement.

"Disciple is here?!"

"That's right." Haruna answered.

"Aiyaa! Disciple!" Ku-fei was out to meet the young teacher at the entrance in the blink of an eye.

"I hear Master's teacher." Chachazero alerted Negi from up top of his head.

"Oh no...Ku-fei." Negi grumbled under his breath as he stopped in front of the haunted house where he saw Kaede putting the neon sign up with the help of the twins. He turned and flinched when Ku-Fei was standing right beside him.

"Negi! Have you decided on tournament yet?"

"About that..." He paused as he looked in to his master's eyes. He could see such burning pride and he was afraid of what would happen to that spark if he said anything to bring her down. "...I'v decided to participate."

"Master is very proud of disciple!" Ku-fei praised him before they both heard someone land beside them.

"Hi Kaede." Negi greeted the ninja.

"I'm glad to hear that you're participating too, Negi-sensei. Since that's the case why don't you train with me this afternoon after we're done with the halls?"

"That'd be great." Negi accepted.

"You train with Kaede-san?" Ku-fei asked, her hands on her hips with jealousy.

"S-sometimes."

"Why you not train with Master this afternoon?!" The Chinese girl asked, stepping in front of Kaede to keep his attention off of her.

"We-well you see..." Negi started off but he heard someone call out to him loudly in the distance.  
He turned around and saw Kotaro running to them for all he was worth. When the dog demon finally reached them he used Negi fro some support to stand up. "Wh-what's the problem, Kotaro-kun?"

"Nothing...I just didn't want to be left with Asuna-nechan or your evil master." Kotaro replied. He looked at Ku-Fei and Kaede before asking, "Am I interrupting anything?"

* * *

Evangeline took a sip of her drink and set it down on the bar counter before looking to Takamichi. He informed her about the arrival of Takane and Mei as well as the other arriving mages.

"So I was being spied on some time ago?" Evangeline asked the teacher.

"That's right. Takane is under Gandolfini and I'm sure you already know his sentiments regarding you." Takamichi replied. "What I'm worried about is him finding out that Negi is closely associated with you."

"You think that he may attempt to apprehend me by using my own disciple?" Evangeline asked with a mocking giggle. "I highly doubt that something like that may be possible."

"Gandolfini isn't afraid to try it, Eva-san. I hear that he's already looking for Chao Lingsen. I know you're familiar with her."

"I am."

"Well, I remember telling you about it before but she's a threat to all mages around the world. She's no different from a ticking time bomb so Gandolfini wants to diffuse the problem now. Knowing that you're on campus will probably tempt him to get a go at you."

"I'd like to see him try." Evangeline rolled her eyes.

"On a lighter note, have you heard of the tournament?" Takamichi asked.

"I have."

"How about Negi?"

"Yes."

"So I take it that you two are going to join?"

"Why?"

"I've felt something change within Negi these past few days and I'd like to find out for myself how much he has improved. His magic aura has manifested in to something promising, however..." Takamichi put out his cigarette and tossed it in to the ashtray on the counter. "...I can't quite place the feeling I'm getting from him." His words made Evangeline smirk.

"What is it that you're feeling from him, Takamichi?"

"Almost as though there are two of you every time he stands beside you. I guess all that time he's been spending with you must be rubbing off of him."

"That's an interesting way of seeing it."

**_To be continued…_**


	8. Bloodlust dillema

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Seven: Lunar Bonding_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

It was near the time of day but it was still quite dark outside. There was not a sound in Asuna's dorm room as everyone slept in their respective places. That being, Asuna on the top bunk, Konoka on the bottom bunk and Negi on the couch in the far corner of the room near the window. Chachazero stood watch on the table near the couch Negi was resting on, wandering to her disturbing thoughts every now and then when she felt bored, and Chamo rested in one of the girl's underwear drawers for warmth along with other reasons. The tranquility of this quaint scene was soon to be disturbed, however, as Negi suddenly twitched in his sleep. 

"Master is stirring." Whispered the puppet softly as she watched in interest. She watched him twitch again, rolling over to his side and would have raised an eyebrow in curiosity if her face would have allowed her to. Something about the way the young magister moved in his sleep seemed so unnatural. It looked more as if he was being disturbed by some invisible force; a dream perhaps.

"Urgh..."Negi moaned as his hands began to reach out for something that Chachazero couldn't see. He grasped out for the air for a moment before stopping abruptly and allowing his hands to fall limply. Then without warning he rolled back on to his back and sat up straight. "Dry...mouth feels so dry." He muttered weakly.

"Master Negi?" Chachazero called to him but he either did not hear her or simply ignored her. Chachazero opted for the first since she wasn't one to be ignored by anyone. She took a step forward when Negi shifted to allow his feet to make contact with the floor and stood up slowly. There was an odd glow in his eyes as he did a cursory of the room, letting his eyes rest upon the two sleeping students occupying the bunk beds. He licked his lips unconsciously as he took a few steps toward the bed being willed forward by desires he couldn't grasp at the very moment. Something was stirring deep within him; an eagerness to reach his roommates.

"This won't end well!" Chachazero exclaimed, jumping down from the table. Just as Negi began to lean over Konoka the puppet rand to her master for all she was worth.

"Konoka-chan." Negi whispered longingly as he sat on the bed beside her. He shuffled near her and carefully pulled back the covers from her upper body so as not to awaken her. When he succeeded in exposing her neck, his eyes danced over the elegance of his target. He could practically hear her pulse! He opened his mouth, exposing his pulsating fangs and leaned over to her ever so slowly when suddenly he suddenly felt a tug at his pajama pants.

"Master, control yourself!" Chachazero pleaded, making Asuna stir in her sleep.

Negi didn't respond but he started to hesitate...

"You must not allow your bloodlust to control you. Show some class for the sake of your own friends!" The puppet felt his leg begin to tremble and jumped back when Negi unexpectedly pulled away from Konoka quickly as if he regained his grip on reality. The boy looked over Konoka's body in confusion and stood away from her bed quickly.

"What was I doing on Konoka-san's bed?!" Negi questioned the air in a quiet yelp. He finally noticed the feeling his fangs were giving him and opened his mouth to touch them with his fingers. "Th-they're so long now!"

"Calm down master Negi." Chachazero tried to console him.

"Chachaze-wh-what was I doing?!" He got down to his knees to hear his familiar out desperately.

"It isn't your fault master." the puppet began. "This happens to those new to the turning stages."

"The turning stages?"

"Your lust for blood is finally reaching you. I can feel a build up of your dark aura." Chachazero closed her eyes and sighed. "It's flowing through me too."

"What does this mean Chachazero? Did I just try to suck Konoka-san's blood?" The boy started to tremble in fear at his familiar's answer.

"Yes." Chachazero answered without any hesitation at all.

"...Oh no..." Negi felt his heart sink and clutched his chest at the deep feeling that began to eat at him. "I knew this was going to happen. I knew that this...this pactio...this change was going to hurt me somehow." Negi looked up quickly when he heard Asuna shifting in her covers and got to his feet. He rushed over to the closet near Asuna's dresser and opened it to reach for his mage cloak.

"Mmmmmm...Negi?" Asuna moaned in her sleep as she stirred again. At her soft moans, Negi felt his fangs begin to pulsate again and slipped on his cloak.

"Master, take me with you!" Chachazero said tugging at his cloak.

"Come on." Negi picked her up and allowed her to rest on his head before opening the door and closing it behind him quietly. The sound of the fast thumps from his escape reverberated through the halls, and Asuna's sharp ears picked it up softly from inside the dorm room. She awakened from her slumber and rubbed her eyes to clear away the morning haze before looking around the room. Her closet was left open and...

"Negi?" She felt her stomach do flips. "H-he's gone?"

* * *

"I'm feeling it, Chachamaru." Evangeline told her partner as she settled down on her couch. The android set down the usual tray of tea and cakes down on the coffee table and asked, "Another full moon is going to arise?" 

"That's right." Evangeline sighed softly. "Tonight there's going to be a full moon. I can practically feel my fangs tingling in anticipation to drink blood again. This fast I've been taking with Negi has made me feel a thirst that can't be quenched all that easily." Evangeline almost felt giddy as she pictured herself savoring the taste of Negi's blood. "The taste should have improved in richness by now."

"You refer to Negi sensei, mistress?" Chachamaru asked.

"Who else? The students here all have sweet blood but I've promised not to touch them. Besides, their blood still does not compare to the boy's." Evangeline's eyes almost glazed over but Chachamaru asked another question that captured the vampiress's attention.

"What blood will he drink? We still have blood packs in stock that you have been neglecting, and we still must take in to consideration his feelings."

"His feelings? On drinking blood, you mean?" Evangeline asked.

"Yes mistress."

"Negi can try all he wants to resist it but in the end he will succumb to his natural desires." Just as Evangeline finished her sentence there was a knock at the door that clearly told them that the person on the other side was in dire need of entrance. The vampiress felt a troubled Negi on the other side and immediately said, "It's sensei."

Chachamaru didn't even take anytime to bow to her mistress before heading to the door to open it. When she did Negi fell forward and she quickly caught him before he could hit the floor. He was crying in her arms and she could feel him trembling. The sight of her teacher looking to distraught made her feel terrible.

"Sensei, what is the problem?" Chachamaru asked.

"I-I'm...I'm a monster." Negi replied in a broken voice. Evangeline heard what he referred to himself as and felt an unusual feeling in her heart. So unusual that the vampiress wanted to feel it again to clarify what it was she felt at that moment. She rose from her seat and approached Chachamaru and Negi.

"What did you call yourself?" Evangeline asked, her eyes taking upon an intense inferno. She looked in to her disciple's moist eyes that felt dull and shattered and felt her sudden anger burn even stronger. She didn't like for him to refer to himself as a monster because if that was how he viewed himself then how could she expect him to view her any differently?

"I almost..." Negi inhaled sharply and sobbed before continuing. "...I almost bit Konoka. I d-don't know what took over me!"

"Answer my question boy!" Evangeline demanded. "What did you refer to yourself as?!" When Negi simply looked back at her she shoved Negi away from Chachamaru's hold and grabbed ahold of him when she joined him on the floor.

"Mistress..."Chachamaru tried to calm the vampiress but she was already shaking Negi.

"You can't answer a simple question sensei?" Evangeline asked angrily.

"What?!" Negi cried out.

"What am I to you?!"

"Wh...what?"

"Am I a monster in your eyes?" Evangeline demanded to know. Her eyes met his own and she saw a fear in them...the same fear she was faced with when she first dueled with him so long ago. She must have lost a grip on her temper.

"No master." Negi replied, averting his eyes.

"Why did you look away as you answered?"

"Because I am..." Negi replied before receiving a smack from her that he never expected. The vampiress stood up and looked down at him, looking away to regard the hand she used to slap him as if to question her action. She turned to Chachamaru and ordered, "Give him a blood pack and let him sleep on the couch."

_I intended for his first drink of actual blood to be my own...but... _The vampiress paused in her thoughts when her gaze rested on Negi again. _How can I face him now when he feels that I've turned him in to a monster?_

"...A monster." Evangeline whispered again before walking to the stairs. "I'm going to sleep. I advise you do yourself a favor and do the same boy." With those words she ascended the steps and disappeared in the dark hallway that awaited her leaving Chachamaru and Negi alone. Chachazero crawled out from under Negi's cloak and sat on the floor looking lost.

"S...sensei?" Chachamaru called to him. Negi didn't answer at first; looking down at the floor with his hand resting upon his cheek. He eventually dropped his hand and looked up to acknowledge her with a nod. The look in his eyes made Chachamaru feel weak for a moment. "Allow me to help you up." She grabbed his hand and got him back to his feet slowly.

"What can I do now? I came for help and I only made things run out of proportion." Negi questioned quietly as he adjusted his cloak and started to turn away but Chachamaru grabbed ahold of his arm to stop him.

"You came to the right place sensei." Chachamaru said sternly. She pulled him away from the door out of the house and lead him to the couch. "I will get you a blood pack." Her words made Negi inhale sharply.

"No!"

"You must drink sensei. Without it you will become weak."

"I'm trying to keep away from blood Chachamaru-san! I almost hurt a friend back at the dorm. I almost drained her dry of her own blood!" Negi stood up quickly. "I can't go on. I'd rather become weak than become a danger to everyone around me!"

"Forgive me sensei." Chachamaru apologized before smacking him across the face. The impact sent Negi sprawling back on to the couch. Chachamaru leaned over him and spoke softly, "You can die sensei. I understand that you are afraid but I know you can overcome this with the mistress's help. You may see this as a curse but think of it as a gift."

"A gift? How can I possibly see it like that?"

"The mistress has given you a gift sensei. You are now part of the bloodline of a superior race and with that comes many powers and abilities you can only dream of. You now have the power to protect those that are precious to you."

"I almost hurt someone who is precious to me."

"As I said before sensei, you can overcome your lust for blood just as the mistress has. You are practically a new born so it's only natural for you to lose control." Chachamaru leaned away from him and headed for the kitchen. "You will drink sensei."

"But-"

"Master." Chachazero cut him off as she tugged at his pants. Negi picked her up and set her down on his lap with a relieved sigh.

"I'm just glad you snapped me out of my trance before it was too late." Negi pecked the puppet on the head, much to her confusion. "Thanks Chachazero."

"S-stop...that, will ya? I don't like mushiness!" the sadistic puppet snapped at him, balling her fist on her lap in a cute gesture of shyness. "Anything for master."

"Thanks." Negi said again before Chachamaru came out of the kitchen again with a packet in her hand. She eyed her counterpart suspiciously as she sat beside the young teacher and punctured the designated hole with a straw before handing it to him. At first Negi didn't make any effort to take it from the android but she held it a little closer to him, her eyes glowing softly.

"Drink sensei. You will feel much better when you do."

"Chachamaru..." Negi groaned but she persisted so he took it from her. After regarding the pack in his hand for a moment he hesitantly wrapped his lips around the straw and began to sip. His senses went mad as the crimson fluid entered his mouth and his eyes narrowed in slight pleasure. Chachamaru watched as his sipping got stronger and he squeezed to pack to allow the blood to come up in larger gulps. When he was done he sighed in what she interpreted as ecstasy and slumped in the couch with heavy eyes.

"How are you feeling sensei?" Chachamaru asked before he suddenly fell over on to her lap without warning. Chachazero held on to his shirt tightly so she wouldn't be thrown off.

"Sleepy, I'd assume." Chachazero replied in his place, much to her waste since Chachamaru wasn't listening. The android simply stared at the boy, his head resting on her lap and slowly placed her hand over his head in hesitation. She didn't know exactly what to do at the moment but she gradually found herself lowering her hand until her fingers were tangled in Negi's mop of hair.

_Sensei is using my lap to sleep..._Chachamaru thought in wonder, still unable to hear her counterpart's words. _I feel a sensation building deep within my chest. My gears are generating more heat than expected._

"Hey Chachamaru!" Chachazero called futilely.

Chachamaru on the other hand was having the time of her activation date...

* * *

**_Later that Morning..._**

So far Mei was having a great day free of her teacher's wacky suspicions and stalking missions. She sat comfortably at the bar eating her well-deserved breakfast after an afternoon and night of starvation. She stole a glance at Takane who poked at the eggs and sausage on her plate with an unsatisfied look gracing her lovely features. It wasn't that she was unsatisfied with her food; rather her disappointment stemmed from the fact that she had not been able to get much information on Negi Springfield or Evangeline Mcdowell. She stalked the young magister in hopes that he would at least let some information slip, but that was most unlikely due to the constant appearances of his students.

"The mission was a failure." Takane muttered. "Gandolfini would laugh at me right now if he only knew the trouble I'm going through. Takamichi won't allow me to spy on "Dark Evangel" and that Negi is much more clever than I expected."

"Excuse me onesan but I don't remember being on a mission." Mei said, refraining from her breakfast for a moment. "We're not supposed to do anything until the others get here, remember?"

"That's not the point, Mei!" Takane cried out in frustration. "We shouldn't be ordered to do such things. It's our natural duty to bring evil wizards to justice."

""Dark Evangel's" bounty is no longer in effect." Mei retorted. "Give it a rest, huh?"

"A rest? I, Takane Goodman will give such a vandal no such luxury." The golden haired magistress declared, making Mei roll her eyes. The others eating around them simply ignored the girl's words. They've gone through the ramblings of crazy people like her before. Speaking of crazy people-

"He wasn't there this morning!" Asuna cried out to her friends as she slammed her palms on the table. Ku-Fei, Setsuna, Makie, and Konoka edged back in their seats to keep clear of the red-heads flailing hands. "Negi just disappeared!"

Takane and Mei whipped around when they heard the boy's name...

"What crazy Asuna-san mean?" Ku-Fei asked, scratching the back of her head. "How does disciple vanish without her consent?"

"That's what I wanna know Ku!" Asuna groaned. "I swear, he's going to put me through a stroke!"

"You sure are worried about him." Chamo commented from Asuna's shoulder before flinching when her head turned to him quickly. "No squeezing!" the ermine cried out in fear.

"Of course I'm worried about the squirt!" Asuna snapped. "How else to you expect me to feel when he just disappears. He took his mage robe with him too, and that creepy Chachazero was nowhere in sight."

"Suspicious activity already, Mei." Takane said in delight.

"Oh no." Mei groaned. "It's to early for this."

"Maybe he went out to train." Chamo suggested. "Kotaro is usually here at this time."

"I actually saw Chizuru with him earlier though so I doubt it." said Makie.

"Darn." Asuna grumbled. "Where could he be? I'm going to show him a thing or two when I see him."

"I know!" Ku-fei suddenly cried out, much to everyone's surprise. "Kaede-san try to get disciple to train with her before! Ninja girl try to get him behind my back!" The Chinese girl stood up from her seat and raised up arms furiously. "We must go!"

"C-calm down Ku-chan!" Makie tried to calm her before gasping when an idea came to mind. "Wait a second! I overheard Nodoka and Haruna talking about luring Negi in to some sort of trap yesterday."

"A trap? Nodoka, set a trap for Negi-sensei?!" Setsuna scoffed, "I wouldn't buy that for the world. We need to think this through guys. You're just making wild assumptions now."

"Unless Ayaka is behind it." Konoka suggested with her usual smile. "I heard her talking about speaking with Negi privately about something regarding the festival." She gained Asuna's attention with that suggestion.

"That perv might just be behind it!" Asuna growled. "That girl is impossible sometimes!"

"Now, now girls." Chamo spoke with a chuckle. "I don't think any of you hit the nail on the head. Haven't you girls noticed that-"

"Enough talking!" Ku-fei cut off the ermine. "Must get Negi-sensei from Kaedea-san now!"

"...Chachamaru isn't-"

"To Library Island we go!" Maki declared.

"...working today." Chamo finished with a sigh. Before the ermine could get a good grip on Asuna's shoulder the red-head stood up from her seat.

"Then let's split up!" Asuna ordered. The other girls seated at the table stood up as well and dispersed to find the young teacher. She blinked at their sudden quickness and almost headed off as well but she felt shivers run down her neck and turned when she heard a soft chuckle.

"Evangeline." Asuna said darkly as she came face to face with the vampiress.

"Aren't we energetic this morning?" Evangeline teased, crossing her arms with a smirk. "What just happens to be the cause for this rare behavior?"

"None of your..." Something clicked in Asuna's mind as she stopped in mid-sentence. Why didn't she think of it before?! "Negi disappeared earlier this morning. DO you have anything to do with it?!" she demanded.

"Boya? Haven't seen him." Evangeline lied with a straight face. "Why do you always think I have to do something with you losing that kid? Do I really look like I want to keep that whining boy in my company?"

"Well-" Evangeline shot Chamo a glare before he could finish, making the ermine go pale on the spot. Asuna narrowed her eyes suspiciously and asked, "Well where is Chachamaru, huh? Isn't she usually with you?"

"She has to attend the tea club later. Not that it's any of your business." Evangeline replied as she tossed her hair to the side. "I'm kind of hungry now so why don't we end this, hmm?"

"I've got my eye on you vampire."

"Whatever brat." Evangeline walked past her and headed to the bar where Takane and Mei sat, eating their food. Asuna growled in annoyance before turning away and heading out to do what she needed. Takane and Mei on the other hand were experiencing something so terrifying that their hands couldn't stop trembling as they ate beside the vampiress. Satsuki saw Evangeline approach the counter and took her order.

"Good morning, Eva-san." Satsuki greeted her.

"Good morning to you Sat-chan." Evangeline greeted back with one of her rare reserved greetings. She felt Satsuki was one of the few who deserved such kindness from her. "I'll just have my usual order." The vampiress tapped the counter as the girl started to walk away before calling out ot her so she wouldn't leave.

"Yes Eva-san?"

"Make that two orders to go." Evangeline said, getting a nod from the cook. _Boya might be getting hungry by now...I can almost feel the vibes from the coming full moon even now. Tonight I'll give him the day off from training. _The vampiress looked to Mei when the little girl squeaked in fear and raised an eyebrow curiously. She felt magic auras emitting from the red-head and the older blonde beside her.

"Whaddya know? Takamichi told me about magisters coming for the festival." Evangeline said with a smirk as she continued, "I expected them to be powerful though. I'm disappointed."

* * *

**_Back to Negi..._**

Negi stirred in his sleep and yawned, opening his eyes. He tried to lift his head but he felt something extremely heavy keeping him from doing anything at all. He realized that he had been sleeping on Chachamaru's lap and that her hand was resting on his head which explained why he couldn't raise it. Chachazero made her own spot nestled under his shirt which was why he something prickling his stomach.

"Chachamaru-san?" He called softly, with no answer in response. She appeared to be in some sort of stand-by or hibernation mode so she couldn't hear him at all. He opted for his familiar's help instead and called to her, making the lump under his shirt move. The puppet popped her head out from under his shirt in a fashion that reminded him of some horror movie and asked, "Yes master Negi?"

"Could you wake up Chachamaru-san?"

"Yes." Chachazero replied. She crawled out from under his shirt and tapped her counterpart on the shoulder roughly causing the android's eyes to blink a few times. Chachamaru awoke from her stand-by mode and looked down at Negi .

"Good morning sensei." She greeted as she removed her hand from on top of his head and allowed him to get off of her.

"Good morning Chachamaru-san."

"I've overslept." Chachamaru said, standing up quickly. "How very unlike me to do such a thing. I need to get going before I'm late." The android smoothed out her skirt and adjusted her maid cap.

"What are you late for?" Negi asked as Chachazero tapped his arm to get his attention.

"I must attend the tea club. I have to prepare the tea and serve everyone." Chachamaru headed for the door but Negi stopped her.

"I don't want to be alone here!" Negi quickly called to her with a light blush. He was feeling pretty hopeless at the moment. "Um, you don't mind if I come with you, do you?" The young magister asked shyly, placing Chachazero on his head where she usually perched herself. Chachamaru felt a lift at his words and nodded.

"I don't mind sensei."

"Master won't take a shower first?" Chachazero asked.

"I'll do that later." Negi replied quickly as he joined Chachamaru at the door before leaving with her.

**_------------------------------------_**

**_We turn to the Tea Club..._**

**_------------------------------------_**

Chachamaru looked through the drawers of the changing room to see if she could find an extra kimono for Negi to wear. He said he wanted to help her perform the tea ceremony so he was going to have to wear the traditional wear. She finally found one that matched her own and handed it to him.

"You must wear this sensei." Chachamaru said.

"Thanks." said Negi, accepting it.

"Fancy stuff." Chachazero commented.

"Will you need my assistance in putting it on sensei?"

"N-no, I'm fine."

"Very well." she replied before stripping off her maid uniform before his very eyes. He knew it wasn't much of a big deal since her body wasn't that of a natural woman but he still felt the need to turn away regardless. He looked at the kimono in his hand and found nowhere else to change without being seen. In short this was going to be a tad bit difficult.

"What are you waiting for master?" Chachazero asked. "Aren't you going to get changed? Those cups out there aren't going to be filled by themselves."

"I know but...er...I need some privacy."

"Privacy, shmivacy. Don't be afraid to take off your clothes." Chachazero winked. "I won't mind, and I don't think she will mind either." the puppet said, jabbing a thumb at Chachamaru before finding herself hanging in mid-air.

"Allow sensei to have his privacy." Chachamaru told her counterpart as she took Chachazero with her out of the changing room. "I will meet you outside sensei."

"Thanks." Negi said with a sigh of relief. He started to strip off his clothes and shivered involuntarily. "D-did Chachazero wink at me?"

**_-----------------------------------------_**

**_Meanwhile we turn to Evangeline..._**

**_-----------------------------------------_**

"I'm home boya." Evangeline announced as she entered the living room with two bags of food. Her eyes roamed around the room and she cocked her head to the side when she found no one waiting for her. She left the food sitting on the countertop in the kitchen and went upstairs to her room to see if he was taking a shower again, but she didn't hear the water running at all.

"Hey boya?" The vampiress called to the lonesome air as she stuck her head in to the bathroom to find no one at all. "...The heck is going on here?" She left her room and descended the stairs, reaching the living room again expecting to find him roaming around but to her confusion he was still nowhere to be found.

"He seems to be pretty infamous for disappearing like this." Evangeline grumbled as she entered the kitchen again. She went to the fridge to pull out a blood pack and stopped when she saw an empty pack in the garbage can with a straw that looked as though it had been chewed through. That could only mean that her underling actually drank blood. The vampiress wasn't sure whether to be pleased by this or to still be angry with Negi for the word he used to describe himself.

"A monster."

**_----------------------------------------_**

**_Back to Negi and Chachamaru..._**

**_----------------------------------------_**

The girls squealed in delight as they watched Negi help Chachamaru pour the tea in to the pots of tea she was going to serve them with. They adored the way he looked in his kimono and the doll resembling Chachamaru on his head made it even cuter. That "doll" of course was none other than Chachazero herself but Negi told her not to do anything suspicious. Negi opened a case near the wall filled with incense sticks.

"Thank you sensei." Chachamaru thanked him as she accepted the blessing incense sticks from him and lit them with a lighter. After the rite was done she handed him a pot of tea and sent him off to serve some of the young women while she grabbed another pot and did the same. This proved to be quite a task since the girls kept on teasing him and grabbing on to him every time he got near a table to serve them. Chachazero all the while had to keep herself from drawing her blades to protect her master, however, it was beginning to perplex her as to if this was simply out of natural duty or jealousy.

"I must ask that you allow sensei to serve all of you without being touched." Chachamaru finally asked of them when she found the girls getting rather aggressive. There were groans and moans when they heard her but they eased up on the young magister. Negi still had to go through the trouble of hearing their comments about him though as he continued his task and some of them made him blush up to his ears.

"Thanks Chachamaru-san." Negi said to her when he was done.

"You are welcome sensei." replied the android with a wave of her hand. "However I should be thanking you for accompanying me."

"So what do we do now?"

"We take a seat and await them when they're done. Then we must clean up after them." Chachamaru replied.

"That's all?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I see...ow." Negi rubbed his cheek when he felt a sharp pain in his mouth. It felt like his teeth were beginning to vibrate.

"What seems to be the matter sensei?"

"My jaw kind of hurts." Negi replied before feeling another stab of pain in his jaw. "It isn't really that serious though. I've kind of experienced this feeling before when ever Chachazero says something regarding blood...which is most of the time."

"It is what the master exposed her to since her creation. It would be natural for her to develop an obsession for violence."

"Oh...anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something in particular."

"Ask what is on your mind sensei." Chachamaru told him with a nod of her head.

"How is it that Evangeline became a vampire?" Negi asked. Chachamaru shifted uncomfortably at his question and answered, "That is something I cannot answer sensei. If you truly wish to know then you must ask her."

"Oh..." Negi rubbed his cheek a little more and the pain finally dulled a little. There was an akward silence after their last exchange and Negi turned his attention to the outside where he could see the female students passing by the tea club. Something outside was making him feel like they were being watched. "So...I'm sorry for giving you a hard time in the morning."

"No need for an apology sensei. You had every right to be uncooperative." Chachamaru replied.

"And about, you know...sleeping on you."

"I did not mind sensei." The android replied as she averted her eyes in embarrassment.

"Alright." Negi mumbled, feeling that he had nothing else left to say since his mind was searching for a subject to build upon. The cold stare that usually filled Chachamaru's eyes was noticeably gone, however, and for some reason it made him feel a little more comfortable talking with her. The problem now was, what could he possibly talk to her about that would capture her interest? Tune ups maybe? No, that would probably be the wrong choice.

"Here you are." A voice suddenly said from the entrance to the club deck. Negi and Chachamaru whipped their heads to the source of the voice and found Evangeline standing at the door with an annoyed look gracing her features. "If you were going to accompany Chachamaru you could have at least told me boya." She proceeded to approach them and took a seat beside Chachamaru.

"I have some food back at the house that's getting cold."

"I-I'm sorry master!" Negi apologized, not even stopping to wonder why the vampiress gave any thought about his appetite.

"Whatever." Evangeline replied, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, seeing as how you rested well the rest of the morning I'd assume you drank the blood." Evangeline narrowed her eyes when Negi slightly bowed his head.

"Yes...I did." Negi replied.

"Would you stop acting so tragic here?! Your cravings got the best of you that's all. I'm going to help you ignore your bloodlust enough to function like a normal human being." Evangeline crossed her arms and directed a feral grin. "Of course there is another reason why you're lust got the best of you."

"W-why is that?"

"Tonight is a full moon boya."

"Really?" Negi asked with widened eyes. "What's going to happen to me then? How is the moon going to affect me?"

"Oh, you'll see." Evangeline looked to Chachamaru. "Right now I'm not sure what effect it will have on you either, but that just makes it all the more exciting now doesn't it boya?" The vampiress eyed the teapot between Negi and Chachamaru before ordering the android to serve her some tea.

"Yes mistress." Chachamaru replied before doing as she was asked.

Evangeline accepted the cup Chachamaru offered to her and took a long sip before setting her sights on Negi again. "By the way, your girlfriend is looking for you."

"My w-what?!" Negi blurted out.

"Kagurazaka."

"O-oh."

"I suggest you get going before she tears the whole campus to shreds in search of you." Evangeline ordered. She raised an eyebrow when Negi stole a glance toward Chachamaru. He was starting to get attached to her wasn't he? This was starting to make the vampiress feel slightly peeved but she just couldn't quite understand why.

"But Chacha-"

"I can clean this up myself sensei." Chachamaru cut him off much to his dismay. He wasn't sure what was going on but she seemed a bit cold whenever Evangeline was around. Despite what was on his mind at the moment he had to get moving before his master started to get mad. When he went to the changing room Evangeline turned her attention back to Chachamaru and she asked, "So what was his reaction when you presented him with the blood?"

"He was rather hesitant but he eventually gave in to his thirst when he got a taste of it."

"He was going to give in sooner or later. I'm just relieved that he got to the house when he did or it would've been to late. I don't want him to follow the same path I did when I was turned in to a vampire." Evangeline sighed. "Besides, the last thing I need is for any of those other brats to become a vampire."

* * *

**_Turning back to the search team..._**

Asuna tapped her foot on the ground impatiently as she waited for the twins to come out of the Starbooks cafe. Somehow she felt it was a bad choice on her part to send the two mischievous girls out to do something. The two never kept their attention on one thing long enough to do something right for a change. Her eyes wandered about the crowd of students and faculty members passing on the sidewalk and her eyes locked on Mei and Takane when they passed by. The broom in the red-head's hand caught her attention.

"I've been seeing those two a lot lately. Are they following me or something?" Asuna asked no one in particular.

"Big brother bumped in to that nice blonde one the other day." Chamo said lecherously. "She really is something you don't see everyday."

"Now that you mention it I've never seen those two on campus before." Asuna said suspiciously.

"You don't suppose they have anything to do with Big brother's disappearance do you?" Chamo asked, goading her on.

"Lets not stray too far from the suspects, huh?" Asuna asked skeptically before narrowing her eyes at the ermine. "You sure are getting comfortable on my shoulder aren't ya'?"

"I totally thought we were getting closer you know?"

"Whatever you perverted rodent." She snarled at him before she heard the gleeful voices of the twins. Both of them had bought drinks for themselves which only meant they weren't trying that hard to find Negi inside.

_I can't depend on these two...I need some sort of sign! _Asuna inwardly cried out to the heavens above. Then almost as if the heavens granted her wish she heard the voice of a certain young teacher call out to her. She whipped around quickly to find the source and saw Negi running to her with Chachazero gripping his hair to keep from falling off.

"Asuna-san!" Negi called to her cheerfully.

"Negi-bozu!" Asuna cried out in a similar fashion, running to him with open arms.

"He-e-e-e-ey-," Something about this scene started to feel like a trap, "W-wait a minute!" Negi saw the fire burning in the girl's eyes and he started to twist around to get away from her. The sweet moment suddenly became a run for survival when Asuna's caring smile turned in to a murderous look of terror.

"Get back here squirt!" She screamed at him as she started to pick up speed. The twins watched the scene unfold before them and suddenly lost interest in their drinks. They left the beverages on a table and joined the chase with Asuna.

"Wait for us!" Fumika called excitedly.

"Yeah! We don't wanna get left out!" Fuka added mischievously.

"The love is just everywhere isn't it?" Chachazero asked Negi evily with a cackle.

"Unfortunately!" Negi quipped, pumping his legs faster. Takane and Mei were sitting on one of the benches near the lake relaxing when out of nowhere, four blurs whizzed past them. Of the four Takane sensed Negi's magic aura amongst them.

"Should we-"

"We're not getting involved with this one." Takane cut Mei off. "We'll catch him when he's alone."

"Alright." Mei replied sounding slightly disappointed. Seconds later Kotaro, Kaede and Ku-Fei ran past the both of them as well.

"Popular isn't he?" Takane said, the sarcasm dripping off her words like venom.

"Looks like i-"

"We need to reach Negi before that ape rips him to shreds!" Ayaka cried out desperately as she passed the two followed by Makie and Konoka. Takane and Mei watched the class president's fleeting form in the distance accompanied by the other two and shrugged.

"It suddenly got really lively here." Mei commented.

"As close as that boy is with "Dark Evangel" I wouldn't doubt his abilities to stir up a ruckus." Takane spat with a snort of disgust. "The nerve that witch has to call us weak little children."

"She didn't seem too cautious about appearing before us."

"Because she's a fool."

"Or because our lives are mere specks of dust to her?" Mei interjected. Takane glared at her underling before turning away from her. Both girl turned their attention to the chase yet again when Haruna, Yue and Nodoka ran by.

"Come on Nodoka! We have to catch up!" Haruna roared.

"I-I'm trying t-to keep up!" Nodoka snapped back at her friend. Yue didn't say a word throughout the entire exchange. Takane on the other hand just about had it with the zaniness.

"What's wrong with these students?!"

Chachamaru and Evangeline stood on the bridge near the tea club looking down at the chase below. Chachamru watched a grin work it's way across her master's face and felt a slight twinge of puzzlement in her system.

"Excuse me mistress but I believe you ignited the flame you were trying to put out when you sent sensei to meet with Asuna-san." Evangeline turned to the android with a scoff when she heard her say that.

"Extinguish the flame you say, on the contrary, Chachamaru. I just got tired of watching boya mope around so I figured I'd just send him in troubles way to perk him up." Evangeline said. "Well, lets head to the "Go" club. I'm starting to get bored."

"Yes mistress."

**_---------------------------------------_**

**_Later at the dorm room..._**

**_--------------------------------------_**

"Asuna a harsh guardian isn't she?" Ku-Fei whispered to Makie as she watched Asuna scold Negi from the couch. Setsuna and Konoka watched from a distance as well, and from the looks of it Negi wasn't having the best day. When Asuna was done berating him she walked away from the boy and took a seat on the couch across from Ku-Fei and Makie. Setsuna pretended to be reading a book, which she failed miserably since she accidentally held it upside down, and Konoka rushed to the kitchen to play it off as though she was serving the girls drinks.

"Kind of harsh weren't you Asuna-chan?" Chamo asked the red-head from his perch on her shoulder.

"No. I actually think I went easy on him!" Asuna snapped at him. "And the thing that gets me is that he wouldn't tell me where he went. I know he lied to me about being with Kotaro." Asuna stole a glance at Negi who climbed up to his room and laid down on the floor to look at the ceiling. She inwardly groaned at how sad he looked.

"So did you punish him?" Makie asked hesitantly. "You didn't did you?" She quickly added on hopefully.

"Of course not. What could I possibly do to him? It's not like he's my brother or something." Asuna replied. "I'm not letting him go to train with Mcdowell tonight though." She looked at Setsuna when the girl looked at her oddly and asked, "What's the problem with that?"

"Evangeline wouldn't be pleased with that." Setsuna replied with a chill.

"Vampire girl would punish disciple." Ku-fei added.

"What would she possibly do to Negi?!" Asuna asked, thinking that all of this fuss was rather ridiculous.

Makie rolled her eyes and started off, "Well..."

**_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Makie's thoughts on the matter..._**

Negi held a large stone ball on his shoulders as he stood upon burning rocks of hot coal wearing nothing but his boxers. He took a step forwards and grimaced as the hot coals licked his feet. The weight of the stone made his feet sink further in to the crumbling rocks while Evangeline watched from her throne. Where this throne came from was only to be known by Makie herself.

"So you decided to weasel out on our training did you boya?" Evangeline asked sinisterly.

"I am so sorry master!" Negi cried out.

"Too late now. Get moving!" The vampiress ordered cruelly. She nodded to Chachamaru who stood beside her with a whip and the android proceeded to lash at the boys back.

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"W-what is wrong with you Makie?!" Asuna asked in horror. The gymnast blushed deeply as she fidgeted with her hands and said meekly, "It could happen."

"That's just cruel and unusual punishment." Konoka cried out from the kitchen.

"I wouldn't put it past Eva-san to think up something like that though." Setsuna said with a nod of her head.

"Oh no. You too Set-chan?!" Konoka gasped in surprise.

"Evangeline just might...

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Setsuna's thoughts on the matter..._**

Negi hung upside down from a tree while Evangeline stood beside him with a boken in preparation to strike him. She slashed at the air a few times before placing a hand on Negi's back and pushing him forward lightly causing him to swing back and forth. Negi had on nothing but his boxers and a blindfold wrapped around his eyes to keep him from seeing anything.

"So you thought you could just leave me waiting for you to come?" Evangeline asked wrathfully.

"I am so sorry master!" Negi cried out in fear. "Please don't hurt me!"

"Too late for apologies boya!" Evangeline struck him on the back making the boy cry out and wriggle in pain.

"I-I'm s-sorry!"

Evangeline struck him again...

"Why Asuna, whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!"

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Stop that already!" Asuna screamed. "Are you guys trying to make me feel bad?!" The red-head looked back at Negi one last time and sighed. "Alright. I'll let him go train with her tonight...gawd you girls are terrible.

"I no say anything yet!" Ku-Fei protested.

"No more scenarios!" Asuna snapped.

* * *

**_Evangeline's residence..._**

Negi stood in front of the door nervously as his body refused to let him knock on the door. His eyes looked towards the full moon in the evening sky and he felt shills running down his spine. He felt some odd sensation pulsing throughout his entire body from basking in the moonlight and it started to creep him out to say the least. Evangeline said she wasn't sure how the full moon would affect him so he didn't feel that he could trust himself.

"W-what if I turn in to a man eating bat?!" Negi thought aloud, making Chachazero giggle insanely.

"That would be fun!" Chachazero said gleefully. "It's pretty unlikely, but I'm starting to like the way you think master Negi!"

"Oh great." Negi mumbled miserably.

"Are you going to knock on the door or what master?"

"Alright, alright." Negi retorted, lifting his knuckles up near the surface of the door. After swallowing his fears he knocked on the door a few times and the door opened to reveal Chachamaru in her usual maid outfit. The android bowed before greeting him in her usual fashion.

"Good evening Negi-sensei. The mistress has been expecting you." said Chachamaru as she gestured for him to come in. Negi walked in and took his respective place on the couch near the coffee table while the android closed the door.

"May I serve you a drink sensei?"

"N-no I'm not thirsty." Negi replied, sweat-dropping.

"Now, we all know that was a lie." a sultry voice said from above. Negi could have sworn he heard the voice from somewhere before so when he turned to see who spoke it was no surprise that it was Evangeline, however, she took the form of her older persona. She wore a black dress held by a black neck lace that stopped just above her knees accompanied by her usual vampiric cloak. Negi couldn't help but blush at how sexy she looked.

"I see that you're not dressed for this occasion at all." The vampiress quipped as she descended the stairs to reach the living room. Chachamaru observed the way Negi looked at Evangeline and felt a twinge of jealousy.

"I-I'm sorry master. I had no idea you wanted me to dress up." Negi apologized. "Erm, what is the occasion anyway?"

"Your first full moon of course." Evangeline replied with a smirk. "Why don't we go for a little flying around the campus tonight. To the world tree perhaps?" Evangeline suggested.

"The World Tree?" Negi questioned. "Why there?"

"It's the perfect place to commemorate our first actual drink together."

"We aren't going to prey on any students are we?!" Negi asked in horror. Evangeline laughed as she approached him and said, "I-I didn't get that the first time. What did you say?"

"We aren't going to prey on any-"

**_SMACK!_**

"And completely blow our cover?! Are you stupid?!" Evangeline yelled in annoyance. "I only did that before to lure you out. I can't just pick off students from the campus every full moon you know. That's the reason I order blood packs..."Evangeline grinned. "...Not to mention the reason I keep you around."

"O-oh."

"So lets get going boya." Evangeline ordered as she exited the room through the courtyard entrance.

"Yes master!" Negi complied, following her outside. She stopped in front of the fountain near the middle of the courtyard and looked up towards the moon. Negi could see the soft beams shining down upon her at that moment embracing her body. Her hair seemed to glow in the darkness and the cloaks combined with her adult form made her look like some temptress.

"Like out of some mystery novel." Negi mumbled, getting Evangeline's attention.

"What was that boya?" She asked.

"N-nothing at all master." Negi replied.

"Anyway, first things first." Evangeline snapped her finger before pointing at him and a flock of bats appeared out of nowhere and surrounded him.

"W-What's going o-on?!"

"Calm down boya." Evangeline told him as the bats swirled around him and materialized in to a cloak similar to her own. The cloak draped over Negi's shoulders and the neck collar popped up making it look fit for a vampire. "There we go. Now you look proper enough. This will be your own personal cloak. Later I'll teach you to summon it when we get to the basics of dark arts."

"Yes master." Negi replied as he felt the cloak. "It's so smooth."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going!" Evangeline jumped toward the fountain and kicked off it's surface with one foot before taking flight. Negi did the same and joined her up in the evening sky. They flew up high enough until they could see the entire campus.

"Does seeing everything from up here bring back memories?" Evangeline joked.

"Y-yeah. Really bad memories."

"Don't get yourself hung over on those memories boya. I'll provide you with more when the time comes." She heard her disciple groan and laughed. "Enough talk for now. We can talk more when we get to the world tree." With those words she flew toward the enormous tree in the distance.

"Slow down!" Negi called to her as he followed.

"Try to keep up boya!" The vampiress cried out playfully as she increased her speed.

"C'mon master!" Negi yelled before blinking a few times. Was she actually having fun with him or was it just his imagination playing tricks on him. Regardless of that he decided to play along and chase after her. "I accept then!" He yelled as he increased his flight speed.

"That's the attitude I want!" purred Evangeline before making a nosedive. "Don't be afraid Negi!" She looked back at her disciple to see him hesitating about doing a nosedive as well but to her surprise he actually pulled it off and followed after her. When Evangeline turned back to watch where she was going she saw the World Tree nearby and prepared to land near it. There weren't that many students out at this time since it was almost time for curfew so nobody saw the two vampires descending. When they both landed near the Tree they went up the stair steps to stand on the walkway that surrounded the tree and watched the view of the campus.

"Nice." Negi said in wonder. "It's no wonder why everyone likes to come to this spot."

"Fools in love only come to this spot boya." Evangeline said with a grin. "I believe I already told you about the power of this tree haven't I?"

"Yes."

"So then you know just how dangerous this place is right?"

"Yes master." Negi answered.

Evangeline smirked and got closer to him, saying, "Danger will always lie within things of beauty boya. Always keep that in mind because the life of a wizard is filled with traps and surprises." She place a hand on his head and played with his hair. Negi felt himself blushing the entire time. Was it him or was she acting really weird tonight?

"I wanted to talk to you about something sensei."

"R-really?"

"Yeah...really." Evangeline replied sarcastically. "Do you remember the word you used to describe yourself earlier this morning?"

"...Yeah." Negi replied, bowing his head slightly but she made him raise it again.

"Don't bow your head."

"Y-yes master."

"Don't ever refer to yourself as a monster again or I will punish you. If you see yourself as a monster then I don't see how else you could view me." The vampiress said sternly. Her voice was filled with emotions Negi couldn't completely make out.

"But I don't see you as a monster master!"

"We're both vampires boya. If you see yourself as a monster because you're a vampire then you have to feel that same way about me. Don't cheapen yourself boy!" Evangeline scolded. "Monsters have no feelings; no sense or passion. For you to even think such things about yourself fills me with the outmost disgust. You will come across hardships as a vampire but you will overcome them just as I did."

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"How did you become a vampire?" Negi asked Evangeline. There was a deathly silence after he asked her that and he started to feel as though he made a mistake in asking such a personal question. She turned away from him for a moment and sighed deeply as if all the weight on her mind was slipping away all at once.

"That's...none of your business."

"But-"

"You will hear nothing on the matter boy. That information is something I don't like to share with anyone and even if I considered revealing such information I would never think of telling you of all people."

"Why?"

"I'd feel ashamed." Evangeline replied.

"I'm sorry master."

"No need for an apology. You're curious, that's all." Evangeline turned to face him and spread out her cloak so her arms were exposed. "You have a long way to go boya, but I'll stand beside you to guide you as my underling." She held out her arm to him and he took a step back.

"What?"

"Drink my blood Negi. Only after you drink my blood will you be able to suppress your blood lust. You will gain the potential to shape shift, to bring others under your control and to manipulate the forces of darkness at your will." Evangeline's voice got softer. "You will truly become one of the dark ranks."

Negi looked at her in awe...

"M-master..." Negi stammered nervously.

"Make the choice sensei. Drink my blood." Evangeline held her arm closer to his face and he found himself opening his mouth to bare his fangs but the closer he came to biting her the more it felt like something was wrong about it. Before his fangs could come in contact with her skin he pulled back and turned away from her.

"I can't do it master." Negi shuddered at the thought of biting in to the flesh of another. "I just can't drink your blood." Evangeline nodded slowly and lowered her arm to her side in slight disappointment yet there was also a feeling of relief. As long as he didn't drink her blood he could not completely surpass her and that would always make him hers in some right.

"So the boya is afraid to take the next step." Evangeline taunted with a small grin. "You choose to stay no different from a newborn because you're afraid to grasp what potential you have locked within. Tell me Negi...what is it that you fear?"

"...I don't know." Negi replied in a whisper.

"Or is it that you don't fear this potential? Is it that you feel you may be cheating yourself?" Evangeline placed her hands on both his shoulders and made him face her. "I respect that boya. You actually have the makings of your own father, and because of that..."Evangeline bared her fangs. "...I find you even more delectable." Her fangs plunged in to his neck and he felt the same pleasurable sensation running through his body.

...and for a moment the darkness was so sweet...

**_To be continued..._**

_And now the series actually begins..._**_  
_**


	9. Addicts and Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Eight: An addiction for Boya?_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

"Hey Asuna." Negi whispered to his roommate as he nudged her. He was practically hanging from the side of the top bunk with his legs dangling in mid-air. Had Konoka been awake she probably would have been tempted to tickle the young magister in to submission. Seeing that his first little nudge didn't wake up the red-head he did it again while whispering, "Come on Asuna. Wake up for a second." A small smile crossed his lips when Asuna pouted cutely in her sleep...before pushing him off the side of the bunk and sending him falling to the unforgiving floor that awaited him below. 

"Ouch!" Negi hissed as he rubbed the back of his head to soothe the pain. "A-Asuna! Why did you have to do that?!" He heard Asuna shift in the top bunk, startled from the sudden thud and she poked her head out from above with a shocked look gracing her face.

"Negi? What the heck were you doing?"

"Trying to wake you up!" Negi answered back. "You pushed me off the bunk in your sleep! Ow..." Negi rubbed his sore bottom from the impact. Surprisingly enough, Konoka was still asleep despite their loud exchange of words.

"Couldn't you just nudge me or something?" Asuna asked skeptically.

"I did."

"Well I'm sorry, alright?" Asuna noticed his state of dress and already felt that this conversation was going to be short. A mage cloak, muscle shirt and baggy sweat pants didn't look like the clothes of someone who was intending to stay home. "Where are you headed for anyway?"

"Well, that's why I wanted to wake you up." Negi stood up and stretched before continuing. "I'm heading to Evangeline resort to train with her for the upcoming tournament." He turned away from Asuna for a second when he felt the usual tug on his pants from Chachazero to pick her up and prop her on his head. When he submitted to the puppets wishes he turned back to Asuna and said, "I'll catch you later okay?"

"Didn't you just get back from training with her last night?" Asuna asked in irritation. "Don't you ever rest from training anymore?"

"Well, we weren't exactly traini..." Negi stopped in mid sentence when he realized that he almost let that one slip but Asuna had some sharp ears unfortunately.

"You two weren't training?" Asuna asked quickly, furrowing her brows. "Then what were you two doing?" The teenager almost got out of her bunk when Negi started walking towards the door where his staff rested.

"Um, what?" Negi asked stupidly as he wrapped his hands around his staff with his left hand and held his other hand behind his back to grab ahold of the doorknob.

"You heard me!" Asuna yelled but Negi turned the doorknob and slipped out before she could hop off from the top bunk. When she finally managed to get her legs untangled from the covers, he had shut the door behind him already and was making his escape from the dorm hall. Asuna ran to the door and opened it to see if he was still in sight but the double door leading outside at the very end of the hall was just about slamming shut.

"Just what is going on here?!"

"That was close!" Negi said with a sigh as he soared through the air with his staff clutched tightly in his hand. He could see some of the early bird female students jogging in their groups on the campus below and some of the students working feverishly on their amusement stands for the upcoming festival that was just less than a week away. The fact that he wasn't using his staff to fly anymore kind of bothered him but the feeling was brushed away easily. He saw Evangeline's house below and made a nose dive for the porch below. When he was near the ground he landed sloppily and almost stumbled over the stair steps.

"I still have to work on that landing of mine." Negi mumbled uneasily.

"I agree with master Negi." Chachazero agreed with a nod of her head. "Master is getting better at taking off though." The puppet added with praise.

"Thanks Chachazero." Negi thanked her warmly. He was making some very good progress with the puppet so far. Now with a few years he could possibly mellow her down on that violent personality she's cursed with. He made it up to the final stair step and walked to the door before knocking on it. He heard Chachamaru's footsteps approaching the door and the android opened it for him with her usual bow.

"Good morning sensei." Chachamaru greeted him politely.

"Can you just call me Negi from now on Chachamaru-san? We are closer than acquaintances now, aren't we?" Negi asked her with a smile.

"...I-if that is your wish...Negi-kun." Chachamaru replied hesitantly. She gestured for him to enter the residence and closed the door behind him with her back against the door. She raised her eyes to the ceiling as he took his usual seat on the couch and whispered, "Negi-kun." For some reason she felt a lift inside of her when she said it like that. "Sensei", however, was a title she really started to become attached with addressing him.

"Chachamaru?" Negi snapped the android out of her daze when he saw her looking in to the distance. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm sorry." Chachamaru apologized much to Negi's confusion. "Do you wish for me to get the mistress for you?"

"Er, no. I wouldn't want to wake her so early." Negi replied sheepishly.

"Very well. I will be in the kitchen if you need me." Chachamaru said before heading away to do her chores. Negi nodded and sat on the couch quietly, shifting every few minutes as the boredom slowly started to seep in to his thoughts and drive him in to a gradual state of madness. It was then that he figured he would just accompany Chachamaru in the kitchen since there really wasn't anything else to do. He stood up and headed to the kitchen to find the android mopping the floor. It looked like someone made a mess.

"Chachamaru?" Negi called to her. Chachamaru raised her head and turned her attention to him before asking, "Yes N-Negi-kun." It would seem that she still was stumbling over addressing him so casually.

"What happened here? It looks like someone splattered something on the floor."

"The mistress." Chachamaru answered.

"What?"

"...After her outing with you late last night she returned..." Chachamaru paused as if to look for the right words to say next. "...a little intoxicated."

"Intoxicated? With what?" Negi asked curiously.

"I would assume that it was from drinking your blood."

"My blood?!" Negi asked in surprise.

"Yes. If I recall correctly the mistress said that your blood's richness would develop to an astounding level due to your turning. I'd assume that it developed to such a level that it would send one of the nocturnal class in to a "drunken" state." Chachamaru replied. Her explanation would explain why the tiny vampire wasn't up to put him through his morning training yet.

"That's unexpected." Negi thought aloud. He unconsciously rubbed the spot on his neck where Evangeline's fang entered and chuckled awkwardly. _So now my blood is the equivalent of some addictive substance? I'm not sure if that's as good a thing for me as it is for master._

"I think Eva-san will be a little more eager about drinking your blood now master Negi! You're a walking drug!" Chachazero joked with an evil giggle. Just then the kitchen door opened and both occupants turned their attention to the door to see Evangeline walk in wearing her pajamas. She came to a halt when she saw Negi and rubbed her eyes to clarify that he was actually standing there before her. Almost immediately the vampiress felt her fangs pulsating to quench her sudden thirst as her tongue passed over her lips in a gesture of desire.

"Hey there boya." Evangeline purred darkly.

"G-good morning master!" Negi greeted her nervously. He did not feel comfortable with the look she was regarding him with and the way she started to slink towards him only made him feel worse; Chachamaru, seeing how unsettled Negi was opened the fridge quickly and pulled out a blood pack before rushing between the transfixed vampiress and her disciple.

"Here you are mistress." the android said quickly as she held the blood pack out in front of Evangeline's eyes. The vampiress blinked a few times as she was pulled out of her trance and slowly accepted the pack before poking a straw inside and sipping from it generously.

"Thanks." Evangeline said in what Negi interpreted as relief. "...I almost lost myself there."

"So...master?" Negi called to her uneasily.

"What is it boya?" Evangeline asked, her lips never leaving the straw.

"Are we going to start my training for the morning yet?"

"...Sure. Just allow me to get dressed." With that exchange the vampiress turned away from Chachamaru and Negi to head to her room. The android and Negi sighed at the same time. Why Chachamaru could sigh isn't relevant at the moment, however, it was clear that the both of them were very much relieved by the absence of her "Deep darkness."

"That was kind of scary." Negi finally said. "I hope she won't be like this all the time."

"...One can only hope." Chachamaru added warily.

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning to the training at Evangeline's resort..._**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

Since the training was now being taken to the next level due to Negi's increase of power the vampiress decided to move their session in to the resort dimension. It was there where the curse had no reach over Evangeline and it was the safest place to start off with Negi's first lessons in the dark arts. It also served as a great place to relax when the young magister's training was over since time was much slower in this realm, and he was going to need all the time possible to walk off the strain of this level of work.

"Alright then." Evangeline started off from her seat at the table. Chachamaru and Negi stood facing each other near the beach shore. The android wore her maid dress shirt with some shorts that allowed her enough flexibility to move freely and Negi left his cloak on one of the nearby beach chairs so it wouldn't weigh him down. "First we'll see how much your agility has increased. When your magic aura is exhausted the only thing you can really rely on when faced with another combat mage is pure speed and technique."

"Yes master." Negi replied.

"This means that I'm restricting you from casting any protective spells over yourself! Got that boya?" Evangeline snapped quickly. "No speed enhancements or strength boosts!"

"Y-yes master!" Negi squeaked. He saw Chachamaru get in to a fighting stance before turning to her mistress and asking, "Shall we proceed with the match then mistress?"

Evangeline glared at Negi to get him in to his own stance and turned back to Chachamaru to say, "Begin with the first round then." The vampiress looked to Chachazero who sat on the table with a stopwatch set down in front of her. "Start the time Chachazero."

"Yes Eva-san." the puppet said with a nod before clicking the top button to get the watch timing.

"Go!"

Negi became alert when Chachamaru kicked off from her spot and sent herself skidding in his direction. His first instinct was to cross his arms in front of him and brace himself much to Evangeline's agitation. All he could hear was the vampiress bark out an angry command before Chachamaru rushed in to him and sent him crashing to the sand. Negi pushed his palms against the sand and launched himself in to the air before landing back on his feet. Not a moment later, Chachamaru was already running towards him with her left hand reared back to deliver a punch to the gut.

_Forgive me sensei. _Chachamaru inwardly asked for forgiveness as she went in to strike but Negi caught her incoming hand and brought his other elbow down upon her joint to bring her down to the ground with him. When they hit the sand he turned his hips to the side and jerked to send himself spinning with Chachamaru so that he ended up on top of her.

"Nice..." Evangeline said with a nod of satisfaction before yelling, "Don't linger like that too long boya!" Negi got the message a little too late, however, as Chachamaru kicked his back and forced him off of her before getting back to her feet in a swift motion. Negi regained his ground as well and ducked under a kick from Chachamaru before countering with a leg sweep that the android gracefully flipped over.

"Whoa!" Negi cried out when Chachamaru came down to the ground with a crescent swan kick. She brought her leg over her head before allowing it to drop down over Negi's own, but the young magister brought both arms over his head to block the attack causing the sand under him to burst from the sudden jolt of pressure when Chachamaru's foot came in contact with his bracing arms. Negi forced her off of him, causing her to become airborne again for a moment and locked a hand around one of her open ankles to swing her in to the water. She skidded on the surface of the water like a leaping rock before finally crashing with a splash.

"I did it!" Negi said cheerfully, offering Evangeline the victory sign much to her annoyance. He raised an eyebrow in confusion when she grinned and said, "Now I'm sure that you know better than that."

"What do you mea-" Negi's question was cut short when the shore behind him suddenly exploded making water spray everywhere and Chachamaru charged at him through the mist to take him down to the ground with an elbow to the back. She stood over his motionless body, awaiting Negi's next motion and clenched her left fist. When Negi raised his head slowly to look up at her she poked out two of her fingers and tapped him on the forehead. Negi lost consciousness instantly.

"I believe this match is over." Chachamaru announced to Evangeline.

"I never expected it to last this long though." said Evangeline as she stood from her chair. She turned to Chachazero who stopped the clock and asked her, "So what was the time?"

"Five minutes and forty-two seconds." Chachazero replied. "He managed to land some hits on Chachamaru."

"That he did." Evangeline said with a nod as she approached her disciple's motionless form. She grabbed a hand full of his shirt and lifted his face off the ground to examine him. He coughed a few times and opened his eyes slowly to look at her.

"I think that's enough for this morning. We'll go further tonight." She dropped him back on the floor and started heading to her Spell Keep tower. "Get up and follow me boya!"

"Agrwight." Negi mumbled almost incoherently from under the sand. Chachamaru picked him up and held him in her arms steadily to allow him to reorient. After he got a good look at her face she asked, "Did I injure you badly...Negi-kun?"

"Surprisingly...you didn't." Negi managed to say. He pulled away from her with a grin and praised, "Really good match though!" He gave her a thumbs up and turned to start walking but he had the feeling that he was forgetting something.

"Master!" Chachazero called to him before he could head on to follow Evangeline.

"Oh, sorry!" Negi rushed over to the table that she stood on with her hands reaching out to him childishly and perched her on his shoulder. "Lets get going before master gets-"

"Hurry up already!" Evangeline's yell interrupted him.

"Yes master!" Negi replied as he rushed to her side. Chachamaru brushed herself to get the moist sand off of her and raised an eyebrow when she saw Evangeline and Negi walking together side by side. It was as though he brushed off the ache his body felt as if it was nothing to him at all.

"How odd." the android mused.

* * *

"I've never been in here before." said Negi as he followed Evangeline in to the tower. When they entered the young magister was speechless. There were countless floors in the tower and each floor had a bookshelf that lined the walls of the tower in a circular fashion. There were scrolls, books, artifacts, and other magical items that he'd never seen before. Her collection made his meager one look like a grain of sand in compare. Evangeline smirked when she saw how amazed her disciple was and giggled. 

"This is my pride and joy boya. You're the first to enter this tower other than Chachamaru and me. The headmaster doesn't even have any knowledge of this place." Evangeline snapped her fingers and pair of glasses materialized in her hand. Negi inwardly snickered at how cute she looked with them on but when she raised an eyebrow he stopped his train of thought. He almost forgot that they were both telepathically bonded.

"H-how were you able to collect so many of them?!" Negi asked in awe. "Where did you find them?" Negi was tempted to take a book from the shelf on the first floor but his better instincts told him that it would probably be a fatal mistake.

"I've been around for a long time boya, and I've traveled almost everywhere." Evangeline was tempted to place her hands on her hips haughtily but she kept herself from being consumed by her own pride. "Lets go." She kicked off from the floor and flew up. Negi did the same and followed her up to the very top floor where she kept her darkest spell books. They both landed on the top floor and Evangeline immediately started searching for a book.

"What are we doing here anyway, master?" Negi asked nervously, trying hard not to look down from the safety rails.

"Starting you off with your first book." Evangeline shook her head when she pulled out a book to find that she found the wrong one and shoved it back in to it's slot. "If you want to understand magic from the bad side of town then you need to at least get yourself familiar with it first."

"How am I supposed to conjure dark magic anyway? Light magic was a hard task from the start."

"If there is one thing every dark arts mage knows, it's that the dark arts are fueled by your inner passion. Give in to passion and you will understand the darkness that I posses." Evangeline finally found the book and pulled it out. She turned to Negi and adjusted her glasses. "Light magic is powered by "Clarity" of the mind. This is why you are instructed to clear your mind whenever you manipulate light forces." Evangeline held out the dark black book to Negi and he accepted it hesitantly.

"...Kind of morbid." Negi said with a shiver when he saw the sown illustration of a black dragon swallowing a gold feather on the spine of the heavy book.

"Are you afraid Negi?" Evangeline asked with a mischievous smirk. "The thought of enriching yourself with dark arts scares you?"

"...To be honest, it kind of does."

"I'll have you know that some of the legendary mages of the past practiced at least some art dealing with the dark arts." Evangeline said. "Your father had some knowledge as well."

"R-really?!" Negi asked excitedly.

"Of course." Evangeline replied. "He could have become "Twilight" combat mage if he wished, however, such an art is forbidden."

"Twilight?"

"Yeah, the Twilight art. It's a form of magic born from the light and dark arts."

"Why is it forbidden?" Negi asked.

"Most mages who have achieved such a level of magic have lost their mind. To force your soul in to the realm of "Passion" and "Clarity" is risky."

"But don't those two realms clash? How can they ever be tapped in to at once?"

"That's the question isn't it?" Evangeline mused with a grin.

"So why would you say that my father could have become a Twilight mage?" The young magister was beginning to get lost.

"Because..." Evangeline stopped and turned away from him before caressing her own cheek with her right hand. "...He was something extraordinary."

"Er..." Negi wasn't sure why he felt a twinge of jealousy when he heard her speak so dreamily about his father. Didn't she hate his old man anyway? He snapped out of his thoughts when Evangeline turned around without warning and pinned a finger against his chest roughly.

"Now, I want to make something clear." She grabbed ahold of the hand he held the book in and raised it in between their faces. "I'm allowing you to hold this book because you're my disciple. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes m-m-master!" Negi stammered.

"If you lose this book..." She allowed him to rest his arm at his side again and leaned over so close that their noses touched. "...the consequences will be of such a violent nature that you'll wish I killed you instead."

"Ye-" Negi's voice died in his throat for a moment. "-es master."

"Good." Evangeline said as she pulled away from him quickly. "You can go now boya. I'll see you later."

**_----------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_We fast forward outside of Evangeline's residence..._**

**_----------------------------------------------------------------_**

Negi descended the stairs of Evangeline's porch and reached for the Dark Arts book that was tucked under his arm. The illustration on the spine was enough to send chills running down his spine. The more he thought about himself manipulating the darkness the more his wondered how it would affect him or how others would view him. What would Takamichi think when he found out that he was allowing one of the most feared wizards in the magic world to teach him such dangerous spells? Negi was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt a light knock on his head.

"Are you alright master Negi?" Chachazero asked from up top his head. "We've been standing here for quite a while."

"Yeah. I'm alright." Negi tucked the book inside his magister cloak and sighed. "I was just...thinking."

"Don't worry about what Eva-san told you master. I'll protect you if she tries to hurt you."

"Heh, heh. Thanks Chachazero." Negi thanked her as he reached up to pat her head. "Well, lets head over to the library. I'll be able to read this over there without worrying about any interruptions." When he was sure that Chachazero had a good grip he tightened the strap holding his staff firmly against his back and kicked off from the stair step he was standing on, taking off in to the sky. Some time had passed so there were more students out on the campus grounds than before.

"There we go." Negi said with a smile when he spotted a clear landing behind on of the festival stands. When he reached solid ground he took his hood off his head and walked out on to the busy sidewalk. In the distance he saw the bridge separating the main campus grounds from library island and headed in it's direction. As he made his way over to the library he was lucky enough not to encounter any of his students; most of all, not the twins. If anyone caught him they would probably inquire about the book and want to take a look at it and the last thing he needed was for the book to travel hand to hand until he couldn't find it at all!

_I don't even want to think about how master would punish me if she found out that I lost it! _Negi thought to himself with an uneasy grin, and to think that he thought they were getting closer to each other. Negi finally reached the bridge separating the main grounds from the library and started to cross it; unaware of a certain magistress who was leaning over the rails in wait. Just as he passed Takane he heard her call his name.

"Negi Springfield?" Takane called without turning to him. Negi stopped in his tracks and turned to face her back. Since she wasn't looking at him he wasn't exactly sure if she was the one calling for his attention.

"Um, excuse me but did you call me?" Negi asked.

"That I did, Negi-sensei." Takane replied, turning to face him. He recognized her face and found her very pretty since he was able to get a better look at her this time.

"W-wow. You're the person I bumped in to before aren't you?!"

"Yes. We did cross paths before some time ago." Takane replied with a professional smile. She extended a hand to shake his and he accepted the greeting gesture. "Takamichi has told me all about you Mr. sensei."

"O-oh, has he?" Negi mused awkwardly. Here this girl was speaking to him like she'd known him for quite some time already and he still didn't even know her name. "Excuse me but may I know your name?"

"The name is Takane Goodman." Takane replied. "You and I will be working together as partners during the festival to keep the students from abusing the powers of the World Tree."

"So you're a mage?!"

"Of course I am. Didn't you sense my aura at all?"

"...Sorry but I didn't." Negi replied with a laugh making Takane's left eye twitch ever so slightly. She wasn't so weak was she?!

"Well, I sensed yours when we first bumped in to each other."

"So...what art do you study, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Shadow arts." Takane answered proudly.

"Whoa. You're the first shadow user I've ever met!" Negi said excitedly. His excitement caused the golden haired magistress to blush.

"So what do you study?" Takane asked, her eyes wandering over to the book sticking out of his pocket.

"Well, I'm mainly a Light and Wind conjurer." Negi replied.

"That's all?"

"Well...what do you mean?"

"Your aura is telling me otherwise. I'm sensing something distinctly different from Light." Takane raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't be hiding anything from me, would you?" Her suspicion got stronger when Negi took a step back.

"Of course not! I don't see any reason to lie to you."

"Best that you stop prying in to master's business!" Chachazero hissed at Takane, much to the magistress's surprise.

"What do we have here?" Takane studied Chachazero intensely. "A talking puppet. That is some rather complex magic there Negi-sensei. Tell me how you do it, huh?" A smirk crossed her face as she felt herself drawing near to some important information. She had Negi in the palm of her hands!

"A friend gave her to me." Negi replied.

"And just who is this friend?" Takane lead him on.

"Evangeline-san." Negi replied.

"A-ha! What is your connection with her?" Takane asked excitedly, causing Negi to back away a little further.

"She's my student." Negi replied.

"Nothing more?"

"No." Negi replied.

"Is that so?"

"...That's all."

"...Very well then." Takane finally said with a grin. "I enjoyed this little conversation, Negi-sensei. I hope to meet with you again later."

_Don't think that this is the end of our talk Negi Springfield! I'll lure out information about your true relation with that dark witch somehow, but for now I'll humor you._

"Alright. It was great meeting you!" Negi replied with a warm smile that made Takane blush again. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her heart beat a little faster. Little did she know that this was due to the fact that Negi was unconsciously pulling her in with his vampiric aura. Negi watched as she walked away, looking back at him every few steps and shrugged. There was something odd about that "Takane" girl.

"That was weird." Negi mumbled as he proceeded to walk to the library.

"I don't like her." commented Chachazero. "She seems false to me."

"She doesn't seem so bad."

**_-----------------------------------------------------_**

**_Entering the Library..._**

**_-----------------------------------------------------_**

Life sure was moving slowly in the library. Not a person doing anything interesting at all; just reading to their hearts content. There was hardly any noise at all but while some would see this setting as dull and uninviting, Yue enjoyed the calm and quietness. Her world was at peace whenever she was at the library and she honestly preferred it over hanging around her crazy classmates. Ninjas, ghosts and vampires were things she seriously didn't want to get herself involved with. She did however take an interest in the world of magic and this was especially so when she simply had to kiss Negi to have it in her grasp.

_Negi-sensei...you're the only one that makes this life a little more interesting. _Yue sipped on the juice she had clutched in her hand and rested her chin on the counter. Of course, the girl would never admit to actually liking Negi because of Nodoka's crush on him. Her friendship with the shy girl posed a real problem for her own interests in the young magister and lately she noticed that Negi and Evangeline had become somewhat closer.

"So far, so good." Yue muttered as she pulled out her wand and tapped the blank sheet of paper in front of her. She started to use her wand in the manner of a pencil as she drew a little picture of her and Ne-

"Hmmm?" Yue raised an eyebrow when the double doors at the very end of the room opened and Negi walked in. In a blur the girl stashed away her wand and crumpled the sheet of paper before tossing it over her shoulder. She felt her heartbeat accelerate as Negi waved at her from a distance and took a seat at one of the vacant tables available. The blue ranger was inwardly disappointed that he wasn't here to visit her...

_Bad Yue! I meant Nodoka! He would have been here for Nodoka!_ The quiet girl had the sudden urge to bash her head in to a nearby wall. She watched as Negi opened a black book he took out of his cloak and set it down in front of him before opening it hesitantly. Almost as if he was contemplating whether it was a good idea to even read the book. The curiosity finally got the best of Yue and she poked her head in to the reference chamber to see if Nodoka was around before leaving her post and walking to Negi's table.

"Hello sensei." Yue greeted Negi in a whisper as she took a seat across from him. Negi reflexively closed the book much to Yue's rising confusion and greeted her back.

"H-hi there Yue-san." The young magister greeted with a sweat drop. His eyes darted around nervously and he asked, "Erm, Nodoka-san isn't around?"

"No. She's busy doing...something." Yue replied, feeling a pull at her chest from hearing that question. She decided to change the subject as her eyes roamed over the black book Negi's hand laid upon protectively. "What's that you're reading?"

"...I haven't really gotten around to reading it yet." Negi replied.

"Well, I've never seen that book around here before." Yue leaned over to examine it a little more. "This one looks older than most of the other books."

"Evangeline-san let me borrow it."

Yue blinked...

"So that means...that it's a magic book?"

Negi nodded.

"Can I see it?" Yue asked, a hint of excitement laced in her words. Negi could have sworn he saw an emotion flash through the girl's usual stoic mask.

"S-sure." Negi patted the chair beside him. "You can look on if you want." He wasn't sure why Yue blushed when he offered but he had no time to think about it it since she rised up from her seat quickly and took her place by his side. He placed the book between them and opened the book carefully. It would be so like Evangeline to let him borrow something dangerous.

"What style of magic is this sensei?" Yue asked leaning over near him.

"Dark arts."

"D-dark arts?!" Yue suddenly exclaimed causing some of the other students occupying the other table to look in their direction.

"Shhhhh! Not so loud." Negi shushed her and for the slightest of moments Yue found something abnormally off about Negi's canines. Why were they so long? Negi noticed how intent Yue was on his mouth and started to fall victim to a creeping blush. "Er...Yue?"

"Wh-what?" the girl asked, snapping out of her daze.

"Are you okay?"

"Just fine." Yue replied oddly. She turned her attention back to the matter at hand and asked, "Why would Mcdowell allow you to borrow a book for the dark arts? I wouldn't take her for the type to reveal some of her own secrets."

"Well...me and her have gotten a little closer." Negi replied awkwardly.

"Closer?"

"In a master to disciple sort of way!" Negi added on quickly.

"Oh. But wouldn't studying this magic make you an evil mage?"

"W-well it really depends on how you use it." Negi closed the book after figuring that reading it around Yue wouldn't be a good idea. The girl was usually something he wouldn't differentiate from wallpaper due to her stoic personality but when it came to magic she was a totally different person. She revealed another side of herself that showed and immense hunger for knowledge. "Um, don't tell anyone about this book okay?"

"What book?" Nodoka's voice suddenly rang out from behind them.

"Holy-"

**_------------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning to Evangeline..._**

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

"God, I'm bored." Evangeline sighed, looking out at the view of the campus from the top of her house roof. Normally she would entertain herself at the "Go" club and cripple anyone who challenged her at a match but something was irking her. Right now she felt that something was missing and it was keeping her from finding any other source of satisfaction. She felt her fangs tingle and inwardly began to pout. "Why am I suddenly feeling so thirsty? I'm usually able to suppress this feeling until the full moon."

She looked at the pile of blood packs that were accumulating beside her and her right eye twitched. This definitely wasn't going to work out for her. "Boya must have done this to me. I need to get a drink of his blood before my thirst consumes me!"

"Excuse me mistress!" Chachamaru called out to her from the porch below. The vampiress looked down at the android and asked, "What is it Chachamaru?"

"Do you wish for another blood pack?"

"No!" Evangeline replied as she kicked off from the house roof to take off in to the sky...however...

"Mistress! You can't fly right no-" Chachamaru winced when Evangeline got captured in a mass of tree branches from a nearby tree.

"I can't think clearly anymore!" Evangeline cried out in distress. "I need to find Negi quick!"

**_-----------------------------------------_**

**_Back to Negi..._**

**_----------------------------------------_**

"NEGI-SENSEI!" Ayaka cried out in glee when she saw the young magister walk in to the Haunted house with Yue and Nodoka. She walked to the three quickly and almost shoved the two girls out of the way to hold Negi's hand in her own. "Thank the spirits that you're alright. I almost thought that violent brute got you for sure!"

"Violent brute?" Negi questioned.

"I'm referring to Asuna, of course!" The class president replied bluntly. "Anyway, lets not talk about her, hmm?" Ayaka linked their arms together and led him deeper in to the haunted house where he saw more of the girls working tirelessly. Kaede and Ku-Fei were working side by side on the walls as they put up some large glass like pads on the surfaces. The twins were holding the pads for them with Sayo hovering over their shoulders in watch.

"As you can see, we're making quite some progress here." Ayaka started as she pointed to all of the working stations. Chisame, Misora, and Ako were laying down some odd looking floorboards that resembled the pads Kaede and Ku-Fei were putting up. Chizuru, Makie, and Asuna were putting the same boards on the ceiling as well. Seeing all of these odd things perplexed Negi to say the least. He wondered where they were getting them. Just as Ayaka and Negi were passing Chisame and the others the wall beside them opened up and Setsuna and Zazie stumbled out dragging what resembled the body bags at a morgue.

"Hi Negi-kun." Setsuna greeted him as she went on along with her business. Zazie simply nodded to him as she followed Setsuna's example.

"You girls have been pretty busy, huh?" Negi asked.

"That's right! And wait till you see the costumes Haruna and Kazumi have designed!" Ayaka replied excitedly as she lead him even deeper in to the haunted house. When they entered a larger chamber filled with sounds of hammering and chatter, Negi saw some of the other girls putting up barriers to divide it in to three large separate corridors.

"What's happening here?"

"We've decided to divide this large room in to three different levels for the Haunted house. They will all be designed for different ages." Ayaka nuzzled her cheek against Negi's and sighed. "I'm going to be helping out especially for the section I've designed just for you!"

"Um, th-thanks." Negi stammered, feeling a little uncomfortable. "B-by the way Ayaka-san, where did you girls get those weird pads and boards from?"

"Pads and boards?"

"The ones back there." Negi clarified as he jabbed a thumb in the direction they came from.

"Those were from us of course." a familiar voice answered in Ayaka's place much to the class president's annoyance. Negi turned away from Ayaka to see Chao, Hakase and Mana standing near the exit way of the chamber. Mana was wearing a large concealing black cloak that stopped just above her feet, and Chao was adorned in her usual Chinese garments while Hakase was wearing her school uniform.

"Chao-san?" Negi said her name in a questioning tone. He was sure he heard something about her being pursued somewhere but seeing her standing before him kept him from being sure of that. The Chinese girl approached him and literally pulled him away from Ayaka as she linked their arms together instead.

"It's great to see you Negi-chan." Chao said cheerfully. "I haven't seen much of you lately at all."

"I've been busy." Negi replied with a forced chuckle, "You've been absent from class though so I guess that would explain it." He finished.

"I'm sorry about that but I guess you can say that I've been busy myself." Negi found himself being lead out of the Haunted house by Chao and tensed up when Mana and Hakase followed not far behind. This walk started to remind him of some of the mafia movies he had seen before with Chamo. Chao noticed Chachazero perched on Negi's head and asked, "And where did you get that?"

"Evangeline-san gave me Chachazero." Negi replied, feeling a disturbance in his familiar when Chao regarded her as "That".

"Evangeline Mcdowell gave you this puppet? How odd that she would give you anything." Chao said with a mischievous grin. "I've heard that she is quite the lone wolf on this campus. The only student that hangs around her is Chachamaru."

"But it seems that Negi-sensei and Eva-san have gotten closer." Mana commented from behind them. "I once spotted them walking with each other around the festival grounds. It was an odd spectacle to say the least."

"Chachamaru seems to enjoy his company too." Hakase said with a giggle. "She asked him to accompany her to a recent check-up."

"Interesting." Chao mused before turning her head to sniff Negi's neck. The young magister almost turned crimson from the unexpected action and the feeling of her nose on his neck drove him mad. He could feel his nocturnal senses running wild as his fangs tingled. When she pulled back away from his neck she smirked and said, "You smell nice Negi-chan."

"I-I'm n-not wearing any sort of cologne." Negi stammered.

"How cute. You're blushing."

"I can't help it I guess." Negi mumbled as he bowed his head.

"So are you excited for the festival?" Chao asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure it will be fun."

"I'm glad to hear that, but my question is really directed at the tournament."

"What about it?"

"Are you participating?" Chao had them stop beside a fountain so they could all take a seat. She sat beside him and grinned. "Well, are you?"

"Yes."

"That's wonderful!" Chao exclaimed with a smile that looked oddly wrong to Negi but he couldn't quite place it. It seemed Chao knew what he was directing his attention at because she stopped smiling and twisted her lips in to a grin instead. "I'll be rooting for you Negi-chan.

"And I'll be looking forward to it." Mana added with a killer smirk.

"Y-you're participating Mana-san?" Negi asked nervously.

"That I am." Mana replied.

"Anyway." Chao stood up from her seat, making Mana and Hakase do the same and took both of Negi's hands in to her own. "I'm sure everyone would like to see you back at the Haunted house so I won't keep you all to myself. I would like to see you soon though, Negi-chan so why don't you come by my food stand later and I'll treat you to dinner?"

"O-ok." Negi accepted before receiving a kiss on the cheek from the Chinese girl. With that final exchange Chao and the other two walked away. He followed their fleeting forms until they were obscured by the busy students walking around and raised a hand to the cheek Chao kissed him. Something about her was seriously "different". He could still feel her nose on his neck as if she was still there beside him.

"That's the second strangest meeting we've had today master." Chachazero said with a slight edge in her voice. "I don't like Chao or that Takane girl from earlier."

"I'll agree with you on them both being odd Chachazero but I don't see a reason to dislike them." Negi told his familiar, standing up from his seat on the fountain. He took one last look in the direction that Chao and the other walked away and started heading back to the Haunted house. For some reason he couldn't get Chao out of his mind as he made his way back but something else was about to occupy his mind.

"Hey Boya!" Evangeline called to Negi from the exit way of the haunted house. Negi saw her standing there with her arms crossed over her chest while Chachamaru stood behind her adorned in her school uniform. For his master to go out of her way to look for him placed some panic in Negi but he knew it wouldn't be in his best interests to walk the other way.

"Hello master." Negi greeted her back, stopping in front of her.

"Yeah, whatever." Evangeline said quickly as her eye roamed all over his neck. "Give me your hand boya." She ordered making Negi feel a doom feeling.

"What for?"

"No questions! Just do it!" The vampiress scolded before going ahead and grabbing his hand impatiently.

"M-master!" Negi cried out in horror. Evangeline suddenly jammed his thumb in to her mouth and she bit on it lightly before sucking on the blood that streamed out. Negi was blushing up to his ears from the ticklish sensation to say the least. He had no idea why Evangeline decided to do all of this in the open but she was looking pretty desperate. After a while the tiny vampire finally stopped sucking on his thumb and pulled it out with a sigh. Negi wiped his thumb on his pants to get her saliva off before regarding the wrinkled phalange.

That was completely unexpected...

"Why did this just happen?" Negi asked feeling quite perturbed. He looked back at Evangeline who seemed to be basking in an aura of complete pleasure and had the sudden urge to run away. "Eva-san-"

"Listen to me boya." Evangeline cut him off as she slumped on Chachamaru. "What just happened is to be shared by no one! Is that understood?"

"O-of course!" Negi replied quickly. "B-but I'm still a little confused."

"The mistress seems to be suffering from a minor craving." Chachamaru explained. "As I told you earlier this morning, your blood has reached a level of richness that is addicting. The mistress is simply going through the usual symptoms of an addict."

"O-oh...I see."

"SO that would make Eva-san some sort of drug addict right?" Chachazero asked out of the blue much to Evangeline's displeasure.

"Unfortunately, you are not so far from the truth."

"Like a crack addiction?" Chachazero went on.

"Er...I guess." Negi answered her. He could already tell from the look on his master's face that him and his familiar were treading on thin ice. "I...suddenly don't feel so safe standing around here." Negi thought aloud.

"Oh really? And why is that boya?" Evangeline asked with a smirk.

"Well...you know."

"Oh, don't worry about it boya I do." Evangeline purred...disturbingly enough. The vampiress's odd change in attitude filled Negi with fear.

"Well, then..." Negi paused and there was a silence as he searched for the best words to end this meeting. "...I'll see you later!" Negi turned around and started heading off but Evangeline called his name and he dared not to make a move.

"You wouldn't be planning on weaseling out of our training tonight would you boy?" The vampiress asked.

"O-of course not." Negi replied, feeling shivers run down his spine at the feral look on her face.

"Good because from this point on there will be no good-byes."

"What do you mean master?"

"You'll be living with me until the end of the festival got it?" Evangeline got off of Chachamaru and walked to him. "This way you'll be more than prepared for the festival tournament, and we'll have more than enough time to develop your new abilities." Evangeline placed a hand on his shoulder and Negi felt the darkness pulling in.

"But I'm fine living with Asuna-san!"

"Are you disobeying me?"

"...No."

"Then welcome to my world boya." Evangeline said with an evil smirk. "It'll be amusing to have another vampire under the same roof."

Negi paled….

**_…And your own personal blood supply?!_**

**_To be continued..._**

_I just had to revise this chapter after reading some of your reviews. As for that "Shinji" mistake I assume that my mind was focused on my other fic for a moment there. _

_Heh...anyway for those who are probably bothered by the way Chao was behaving towards Negi, don't worry about her getting a little too affectionate. I'm aware of their relation but I'm sure some of you might have already gotten the idea of why she's behaving oddly._

_...and if you didn't then I guess there's more fun for the future..._

_Aside from those notes I'd like to thank those who have taken an interest in the fic and those who are helping me with those minor corrections. My mind does get jumbled sometimes so I appreciate your help!_

_Till next time..._

_**Traingham...**  
_


	10. Odd Couple?

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Nine: Living with Darkness  
_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

Negi leaned over the rails of the bridge separating the Library from the campus grounds with Chachamaru by his side and sighed deeply as he felt his chest begin to constrict. There was something about leaving Asuna that wouldn't allow his mind to be put to rest. He had really grown attached to her and Konoka. Of course, this living arrangement with "Dark Evangel" was only temporary but quite a bit could happen while he lived with the little vampire. Not only that but now that he would be living with her, training would be extended, and where would he sleep? He wasn't given much time to his thoughts as Chachamaru finally nudged him on the shoulder. 

"...Negi-kun. We must get to Asuna-san's dorm room to gather your belongings before the mistress gets impatient with your arrival." said Chachamaru as she held up what seemed to be a jewelry box lined with gold. For a lock it had a bat's face with an orb held in it's fangs, and ancients inscriptions around it's bat wings which stretched to the two corners on it's sides. "This box will allow us to pack everything easily."

"What's that?" Negi asked curiously.

"A box the mistress uses to travel. It can hold limitless objects, however, it isn't recommended to fill it with too many things."

"Why?"

"Because in order to withdraw the items you deposit you must remember what they are." Chachamaru replied.

"So why don't we just bring a notepad?" Chachazero asked from up top of Negi's head. Chachamaru inwardly rolled her eyes but Chachazero was actually right about that.

"...That may work."

"It will work." Chachazero insisted, taunting her counterpart with a victory sign. Had Negi been paying attention to Chachamaru at that very moment he may have caught the quick scowl that passed over her face. Even so, it probably would not have struck him so hard as it normally would since his mind was much more preoccupied with how he would deliver the news to Asuna that he would be leaving her for a while. His relationship with the red-head was already running pretty rocky with his sudden increase of training and his infamous knack for disappearing without so much as a warning.

"Master Negi?" Chachazero called his attention when she noticed that he was phasing out again.

"Yes Chachazero?" Negi asked dully once he snapped out of his stupor.

"Don't worry about this new living arrangement. Eva-san's house is a pretty comfortable set up."

"The house isn't what I'm really worried about." Negi replied awkwardly before turning to Chachamaru. "You said she's craving my blood more than usual now, right?" He asked, referring to his master.

"That is correct." Chachamaru replied with a nod.

"So...will it really be safe to sleep in the house?"

"I'm sure the mistress wouldn't drain you of all your blood Negi-kun."

"But there is a chance that she still might jump me in my sleep, right?"

"...Perhaps..."

"Then master is going to have some exciting nights!" exclaimed Chachazero with an evil giggle. "This is going to be really fun! Right master Negi?"

"...Speak for yourself." Negi grumbled...

**_----------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning to Asuna and Konoka..._**

**_----------------------------------------------------------_**

Asuna and Konoka walked to the dorm hall slowly with their bodies aching from the work they were doing on the haunted house and yet they still had not completed it. With Ayaka's constant barking of orders it only served to put even more stress on the red-head who wasn't in the mood to be ordered around by the class president of all people. Now all she needed was a well deserved bath and a little relaxation.

"That Haunted house is going to be great!" Chamo exclaimed from Asuna's shoulder as he put out a cigarette. "I gotta tell you though, it's really hot in there. You girls really need to install an air conditioning system or something."

"Look here ermine!" Asuna growled at Chamo with a scowl. "You did nothing but loaf around so you aren't exactly going to be given the luxury of complaining!" Asuna held her finger against his throat. "Got that?"

"...Yeah..." Chamo replied sheepishly.

"It was nice of Chao-san to help!" Konoka said cheerfully.

"Yeah. I'm still wondering how those weird gadgets are going to affect the haunted house though." said Asuna with a sigh. "You never know what's going to happen with most of the loonies here on this campus."

"Speaking of Chao-san, I saw her walk out of the haunted house with Negi. Mana and Hakase-san followed too." Konoka mentioned.

"She was with Negi, hmm?"

"Yep."

"...I didn't even know he was around." Asuna mumbled, a hint of dejection laced in her voice. Chamo and Konoka caught it and almost felt sorry for her. She usually wouldn't show it but she had grown attached to the young magi and now that he was hardly around she was beginning to feel what was missing everyday. The three continued on in silence the rest of the way until they finally reached the dorm hall and entered. As soon as their dorm room door was in sight Asuna caught sight of the yellow "post it" with Negi's named marked on it on the floor.

"Is someone inside out room?" Konoka asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I think so!" Asuna replied as she ran to their door, which was slightly ajar. She pushed the door open and flinched when she found Chachamaru and Negi clearing out his little room beside their bunk bed. Chachamaru helped Negi pack things in to some odd little box that sucked up whatever they held over it while Chachazero sat on the bunk bed writing down whatever they packed. To say that Asuna was in a state of shock wouldn't clarify explain her feelings. Konoka entered the room quickly to find out what was going on and gasped at the unwelcome sight as well.

"Chachama-N-negi-bozu?!" Asuna stammered in surprise. Negi and Chachamaru turned when she called their names and the young magi froze like a deer caught in the high beams of a car. Asuna then proceeded to approach the two and placed her hands on her hips. "J-just what are you two doing?!"

"I am assisting Negi-kun with his belongings. The mistress wishes for him to live with her for the remainder fo the festival." Chachamaru answered monotonously.

"Eva-san want Negi to do what?!"

"Live with her." Chachazero clarified for her. Asuna's eyes locked on to Negi and she sneered at him feraly. Both of her hands closed in to tight fists and she felt like knocking the books in his hand down to the floor.

"Wh-why was I not told anything about this?!" Asuna demanded to know.

"The mistr-"

"I want to hear it from Negi's mouth!" Asuna cut off Chachamaru with a glare. She set her sights back on her room mate and she asked, "Well?! Are you going to say something or are we going to be staring at each other all night?!"

"Well...Asuna-san...you see..." Negi stumbled over his words slowly. "...This is only temporary! I won't be living with her permanently." He felt his chest collapse when he saw Asuna try to wipe away a tear before it left her right eye. She was trying hard not to allow her emotions to get the best of her.

"Ever since we got back from Kyoto this is all I've been getting from you Negi." Asuna started off coldly. "You say that I'm not part of 'your world' when you and I have been sticking together since your first day at this campus. Why the sudden change in attitude? I mean...you're just getting farther now."

_I'm not trying to push you away on purpose Asuna-chan...it's just that somehow I think this might be for the best. At least until I can find a way to suppress this thirst of mine without resorting to drinking Eva-san's blood._

"I'm not getting farther..." Was Negi's only response.

"From the looks of it...you were trying to move out before I could come home."

"You don't underst-"

"Is this really true? Are you actually going to leave us Negi-kun?" Konoka asked with a quiver in her voice. She forced a smile to cross her lips. "...You still like us right? I mean-"

"Of course I still like you and Asuna! Like I said, this is only temporary!" Negi dropped his books in to the box and climbed down to Asuna and Konoka's level. "I'll be back! I promise!" Before Negi could react Asuna grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and pulled him to her. When she wrapped her arms around him she rested her chin on his head.

"I'm going to keep your name posted on our plaque." Asuna opened her left hand to see the crumpled up post it in her hand and dropped it to the floor. "But from now on I don't want to be kept in the dark about what you're doing with Evangeline. I want you to talk to me. I want you to confide in me."

"Asuna..."

"And you better make the best of your stay with her while you can." Asuna held Negi away from her and he saw her frown turn in to a forced grin. "Because I'm participating in the tournaments with Setsuna so watch out. I'm going to be facing you on that ring! Just wait!"

"Alright then!" Negi replied with a smile. He looked to Chamo who was still perched on Asuna's shoulder and asked, "Are you coming with me Chamo-kun?"

The ermine shivered at the thought of spending a few weeks in Evangeline's house and shook his head. He'd already had more than enough unpleasant experiences with the vampire to know that she didn't really like him. She even threatened to eat him once and that was all he needed to hear to hear in order to take a hint. He waved his paw casually and answered, "I'm fine with just visiting you big brother. I'm sure you don't want me to end up missing in the middle of the night."

"I understand." Negi replied with a knowing chuckle before turning to face Chachamaru when she tapped him on the shoulder to confirm that she was done packing his things in to the box. It shrunk to it's original size so she would be able to hold in in her hand. "You jotted everything down Chachazero?" He asked his the puppet as she flipped the notepad in her hand closed.

"Yes master Negi!" she chirped proudly before holding out her hands so he could grab her. When he propped her back on his head he turned back to Asuna, and Konoka with a smile. "I'll be sure to visit you, or maybe you could come see me, you know?"

"Heh, whatever you say squirt." Asuna replied sarcastically, but Konoka practically glomped the boy and cried out, "Of course we'll visit you Negi-kun!" The girl looked to Chachamaru with a stern expression gracing her face and went on, "You better make sure he doesn't get hurt!"

"I will." Chachamaru assured her.

"Good." Asuna said with a faltering grin. "N-now get going."

"Take care Albert!" Chachazero told the ermine with a wave.

"Same to you Zero!" Chamo bided her farewell.

"Take care Asuna-san, and you too Konoka!" With that final farewell Negi and Chachamaru left the dorm room all to Asuna and Konoka; the door closing with a reverberating "clank" that reminded Asuna of how quiet it got when Negi was gone. She looked up at the personal space she prepared for him with the shelves bare of the books and artifacts he had with that one picture of Nagi and his comrades with a dispassionate expression and bowed her head.

"Asuna-chan...are you alright?" Konoka asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Asuna didn't answer immediately but she finally perked up and replied, "O-of course I'm alright! Now I won't have to worry about that little brat for a while!" She placed her hand on Konoka's and walked to the kitchen.

"I'm going to get something to eat."

* * *

**_Turning our attention to Evangeline's residence..._**

Evangeline lay across on her living room couch looking up at the ceiling above. What occupied the vampiress's mind right now were random thoughts with no real conclusion. A state of pure boredom, one would call it if they were observing her right now. Her little snack earlier when she sucked on Negi's thumb managed to suppress her thirst, however, it brought upon something else that lingered deep within her. She couldn't help but wonder if she enjoyed it...not just the taste of his blood but rather the feeling of touching him so intimately.

"God, I have to stop thinking about it already." Evangeline muttered as she ran one of her hands down her face. She could deny all she wanted to but it was becoming clear even to her that she was beginning to develop a sort of attachment for Negi. Whether it was just because he reminded her of his father or if it was simply because she was genuinely falling for him was unclear. Her thoughts and emotions were mingling on a level that she had not experienced for a long time and before she knew it her face was practically burning. She caressed one of her cheeks to clarify what was happening and she gasped. "Is the thought of boya actually making me...blush?"

There was a knock at the door and the vampiress whipped her head in it's direction. She could sense Negi behind it and she bit her lip, making it bleed much to her annoyance. "I have to stop doing this to myself." She got up from the couch and walked to the door, sucking on her lips tp keep her blood from dripping down to her chin. She opened the door to reveal Chachamaru and Negi standing beside each other.

"We are home." Chachamaru announced as she entered with Negi. She gave Negi the box that held all of his things and grabbed ahold of his hand. "Come with me Negi-kun. I will lead you to your new room."

_Chachamaru just called him Negi-ku- _"Hold on Chachamaru!" Evangeline told her partner before she could lead Negi anywhere." She walked to Negi and placed a hand on his shoulder before saying, "I will take boya to his new room. Why don't you prepare some tea for us for after we're done training?"

Oddly enough, Chachamaru was reluctant in letting go of Negi's hand, however, she nodded to her mistress and replied, "Very well. I will prepare the tea." She slipped her hand off of Negi's and headed to the kitchen.

"Lets go." Evangeline ordered Negi, gesturing from him to follow her. Negi nodded before following her up the stairs to the second floor and in to the hallway. Negi started to get rather nervous once they passed the first two doors of the hallway and asked, "What are in those rooms anyway master?"

"One room is for Chachamaru while the other is my study room." Evangeline replied.

"Your study?" Negi questioned.

"Where I read through my spell books of course." Evangeline replied as she rolled her eyes. They passed another room and Negi inquired about it as well. "That is the washroom. Really, why are you asking so many questions boya?"

"...C-call it a nervous habit." Negi replied. Evangeline finally stopped at the very room before her own and opened the door. It was vacant inside with the exception of a bookshelf and a dresser. Chachamaru already told him that those would be provided.

"Alright then. Unpack and meet me in the resort when you're finished."

"Yes master."

"...And Negi?"

"Yes master?"

"Stop being so nervous...it annoys me." With those words Evangeline left. Negi blinked a few times and scratched his head in confusion before mentally smacking himself across the head for being so incredibly stupid! He forgot that Evangeline and him were telepathically bonded and all he could think about while he was following her to his new room was the vampiress ambushing him as he slept!

"Man that was rude of me! Now master is mad at me!" Negi cried out.

"And you have training with her next." Chachazero reminded him. "We might as well unpack master Negi. It'll go by faster if we hurry with your room."

"I guess you're right Chachazero." Negi said, slumping his shoulders. He set the small box down on the floor and tapped the orb that the bat held to make it grow in size. It opened to reveal a swirling void inside and Negi plunged his hand inside. "Do you have the notepad?"

"Yes master!" The puppet replied as she pulled out her tiny notepad.

"Alright then. Read me what's on the list."

"You have the Gun artifact." she read aloud, and he pulled it out.

"Whoa, this actually works!" Negi exclaimed happily. "This is so cool!"

"Eva-san does have some useful artifacts."

"She sure does!"

**_--------------------------------------------_**

**_Training with Evangeline..._**

**_--------------------------------------------_**

"It's too bad she's such a meanie." Negi grumbled to Chachazero who took her respective place on top of his head.

"Master forgets that Eva-san can read his thoughts." Chachazero replied, pointing at the vampiress who whipped her head in Negi's direction with an annoyed expression.

"Oh...yeah. I keep on forgetting that." Negi chuckled nervously.

"Can you stop dawdling already Negi?!" Evangeline growled.

"Y-yes master!" Negi stiffened when the vampiress summoned her cloak with a snap of her finger and a flock of bats flew to her before materializing in to what she desired. When the cloak rested around her shoulders where it was meant to be she approached Negi and held her hand out.

"Hand over the book boya." She ordered.

"Yes master!" He reached in to his mage cloak and handed her the book.

"Good." Evangeline looked over his entire body with a look of disapproval and raised an eyebrow. "Would you take off the magister cloak boya? You're supposed to be donning a vampiric cloak."

"Well...I wear it because my fath-"

"For training I would like you to wear what I want you to wear okay?" Evangeline cut him off. Negi nodded dejectedly and took of his cloak before leaving it on one of the beach chairs. He ran back beside her again and she snapped again to summon his cloak. The flock of bats appeared again to materialize in to his own cloak and she nodded in satisfaction at her handy work.

_He looks good with that on. I wonder how Nagi would have looked like with my cloak on. _Evangeline felt herself start to blush again and turned away before Negi could catch it. "Alright then boya. I trust that you've at least read the first two pages of the book."

"I've read an entire chapter already actually." Negi replied much to the vampiress's surprise.

"Well, well. There might just be hope for you after all." Evangeline said with another satisfied nod. "Lets start with the basics of conjuring the darkness shall we? Are you afraid boya?"

"Well, maybe ju-"

"Not that I care." Evangeline cut him off again much to Negi's dismay. "Now, remember that since you are using a different art of magic you will have to call upon a different release key." Evangeline smiled deviously. "One that will allow you to call upon the darkness of course."

"I don't know any release keys that will let me tap in to that sort of energy master." said Negi, feeling discouraged. "W-was there supposed to be something in that book related to release keys of that manner?!"

"Calm down boya. Since you are my disciple I will allow you to adapt my own release key. You should be honored."

"I-I a-am! I'm very grateful for this master!" Negi thanked her. "So...how does it go again?" His question made Evangeline almost face fault. She closed both of her hands in to tight fists and walked up to him quickly with an unbelieving expression.

"You mean, you don't even remember?!" The vampiress asked.

"...No." Negi replied hesitantly. "I mean...it's not like I really listen for that every time you attack me with a spell!"

Evangeline blinked...For once the boy actually made some sense...

"Alright. I'll forgive you this once." Evangeline said calmly with a sigh. "First step is to tap in to your passion."

"My passion?"

"For instance, what drives you to fight even when you're beaten down? Think of what is pushing you to become stronger."

_...Father..._

_"_Interesting." Evangeline said in a whisper when she felt a change in Negi's aura. "Now I want you to keep that feeling in mind. Is that understood?"

"Yes master."

"Now repeat after me, and really concentrate when you do!"

"Yes master!"

_"Lic lac la lac lilac." _When Evangeline was done chanting the breeze in the resort started to get stronger and her hair started to flow around her body gracefully. Negi almost lost his concentration watching her. She turned to him when she didn't hear him repeat after her and asked, "Well, what are you waiting for boya?"

_"Lic lac la lac lilac..." _chanted Negi with a little reluctance in his voice. He flinched when he felt an odd flow surrounding his entire body. It felt heavy and eerie but for some reason it still felt like a concentration of wind was flowing between him and Evangeline.

"My body feels much lighter." Chachazero remarked cheerfully.

"Good. That means that boya's dark aura is being manifested at a higher level due to the key release. He's accumulating enough energy to transfer over to you." Evangeline crossed her arms over her chest and began to levitate. "You passed the first phase boya." Negi sighed when he heard that but he went alert again when Evangeline called his attention quickly. "Keep on concentrating!"

"Yes!"

"Now it's time to see what you're really capable at this level!" Evangeline aimed her palm toward the water and looked back at Negi. "Repeat after me again Negi!"

"I'm ready!"

"_29 spirits of darkness come gather and shoot my enemy! Magic archer consecutive blast, twenty-nine spirits of darkness!" _Negi had to brace himself when an enormous dark flow zeroed in on Evangeline and the wind kicked up before reversing abruptly when she unleashed her spell. He stood his ground when the wind pulled everything toward the explosion of the blasts and the large body of water in the resort rose in to the air before it all came crashing back down. Negi had to kick off from the sand and take flight when the water came his way. He remembered that he left his magister cloak on one of the beach chairs and dived for it just before the water engulfed the shore and snatched it up just in time!

"Whew...that was close!" Negi sighed in relief, clutching the cloak to his chest.

"Now you do it boya!" Evangeline ordered him.

"Alright but..." He paused as he gestured with the hand he held the cloak in and Evangeline snatched it out of his hands. "...W-wait!"

"I'm not going to do anything to it boya. Just do as I tell you."

"Yes master." He replied before narrowing his eyes as he concentrated again. He, however, pointed his palm upwards towards the sky before chanting. When he finished the incantation he unleashed the spell but he pulled his hand back quickly in fright causing the twenty-nine blasts to shoot at random directions!

"What the heck was that?!" Evangeline cried out in aggravation. "Why did you do that?!"

"I w-wasn't sure how to react master! I-I've never conjured the dark arts before!" Negi replied, his hands trembling. Evangeline flew to him and positioned herself behind him before slipping on his magister cloak so she wouldn't have anything in her hands. She placed both of her hands over his and guided him with her own body.

"Master?"

"Just calm down." Evangeline quieted him calmly. "Now follow my movements." They were both in synch as she released their power, _"Lic lac la lac lilac." _Both vampires chanted together as Evangeline guided his hands so they were both pointing up to the sky.

_"Try to keep up boya."_

_"Yes master." _

_"Darkness obey, a blizzard, ice and snow of the night." _Evangeline gripped Negi's hands in her own tightly as she prepared to unleash the spell. _"Blizzard of Darkness!"_ Both wizards cried out at once. Evangeline was surprised to hear him say it at the exact time she chanted it and almost lost focus as the powerful spell surged throughout the entire resort. She felt Negi slump in fatigue and held him close so he wouldn't fall.

"I'm amazed boya. How did you know that last part?" Evangeline asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How could I forget a chant as dangerous as that one?" Negi joked weakly making Chachazero giggle evilly. "I think it took a lot out of me though."

"That's to be expected." Evangeline replied. "I guess that will be all for tonight."

* * *

Negi dried himself as he walked out of the shower. After he was done drying himself thoroughly he hung the towel on one of the racks near the towel closet before rubbing his sore shoulder. He reached for his pajamas, which were resting on the toilet seat and slipped his pants and shirt on. He inwardly groaned as he did because his body still felt weak and somewhat numb from discharging so much energy all at once. 

"Training is starting to get a little more stressful." Negi mumbled to no one in particular as he opened the bathroom door leading out ot Evangeline's bedroom. His eyes darted toward the bed and he shrugged his shoulders when he didn't find Evangeline sleeping in it. He figured she was just downstairs in the living room having a drink or whatever she did at this time. Walking to his room, however, changed that when he saw her sitting on his futon in wait with Chachazero by her side doing the same. He ran his hands through his damp hair as he blinked at the sight of her and asked, "Is there something wrong master?"

"No, nothing at all boya." The vampiress replied as she stood up from his futon and walked past him, stopping just as they were back to back. "I was just looking through your artifact collection earlier. I remember seeing you utilize them against me when we had our second confrontation. Anyway, goodnight."

"Goodnight." Negi returned the farewell but he heard the door to her room close behind him before he could finish. "That was weird." The young magister said quietly as he shut the door to his own room and walked to his futon. He crawled in to it and pulled the covers over himself as Chachazero turned off the light and joined him in the futon. She squeezed herself in to his arms and snuggled up close.

"Goodnight Chachazero."

"Goodnight master." The puppet said before allowing her eyes to click shut. He closed his eyes as well and allowed the darkness to swallow him.

There was a peaceful silence as the young magi slept...until the door to his room opened slightly. Evangeline poked her head in and stared at her disciple's sleeping form without a word, and for a moment if someone had a good look at her, the hungry look on her face would have been as clear as daylight...

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_The next day in class..._**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

The girls in the class were talking amongst each other feverishly as the news about Negi's new living arrangements started to spread like wildfire. Some of the girls occupying the dorm beside Asuna and Konoka's own dorm room heard the commotion last night and soon the whole school had knowledge about it as well. Negi, Evangeline, Chachamaru, Asuna, Konoka, and Ayaka weren't present in the class at the moment however so they had no idea what awaited them.

"So Negi-sensei isn't living with Asuna or Konoka anymore?!" Ako asked Haruna as the gossiping girl went away with Chizuru and Yuna. The artist instantly turned her attention away from the two other girls much to their displeasure and focused on Ako.

"Yeah, that's right! I heard that he went to live with Mcdowell and Chachamaru!" Haruna replied excitedly as she adjusted her glasses, which were on the verge of falling.

"With Evangeline?!" Ako asked in disbelief. "Who came up with this new living arrangement anyway?!"

"Don't know." Haruna replied just as the door to the class opened and Asuna and Konoka walked in to the classroom. Both girls came to a halt when the entire class went silent and the eyes of every other girl in the room turned to them. Asuna and Konoka looked back at their classmates and before anyone knew it there was some sort of staring contest in session. The red head finally got tired of being regarded so oddly and asked, "What's up?"

There was a deathly silence until the door opened again and Ayaka entered the class. Almost instantly all hell broke loose when Ku-Fei asked, "It true what others say about Negi-sensei?" Those words got Ayaka's attention immediately.

"What about sensei?" The class president asked.

"Negi supposedly moved out of Asuna and Konoka's dorm." Kazumi answered.

"WHAT?!" Ayaka turned upon Asuna and grabbed ahold of her shirt roughly. "What have you done to Negi-sensei?!"

"I didn't do anything to Negi!" Asuna yelled back at Ayaka, locking her hands around the class president's own hands to get them off her. "Hey, get your hands off of me!"

"Why has he moved out of your dorm room." Ayaka smirked when something truly evil came to mind. "Has he finally realized what a terrible guardian you are?"

"What did you say?!" Asuna snapped after hearing that last tongue lash and took Ayaka down to the floor. Both girls wrestled on the floor, tearing at each others uniform while the other girls in the class rose from their seats and struggled to break them apart from each other before the fight could get any worse. They all froze in place when the door opened and Negi walked in with Chachamaru and Evangeline.

"Swenshei? Ishat oo'" Ayaka tried to say despite the way Asuna was stretching her cheeks from end to end.

"Nwegi! Twellem wa ish goin o'!" Asuna cried out as Ayaka tried to stretch out her lips.

"What's going on here?!" Negi asked in horror. "Would you two stop fighting?!" Both girls let go of each other and got back to their feet, soothing their bruises when they were given the chance. Negi stood in between them to keep them from striking at each other again and asked, "What is the meaning of all this commotion anyway?"

"Word is you're not living with Asuna and Konoka anymore!" replied Sakurako, trying to squeeze out from between Fuka and Fumika.

"Is it true that you, Mcdowell, and Chachamaru are living together?!" Madoka asked excitedly. Negi looked between his master and the girls when he was asked that question and finally answered, "Er, yeah." He heard Nodoka, Yue, Makie and Ku-Fei gasp when they heard him answer and he massaged the back of his neck nervously. This seriously wasn't the way he wanted to start his day. He heard the other girls murmur amongst themselves a little more and he concluded that today's class was going to be a challenge.

"Come on everyone! Get settled down please!" The girls didn't hear him the first time so head had to repeat himself a little louder the second time to get their attention. "Lets start class!" All the girls groaned and whined when they heard hi announcement and gradually got settled in to their seat and brought out their English books. Evangeline and Chachamaru took their usual seat in the back of the room and brought out their English books for the class as well, however, there was a major difference in the atmosphere of the class room as they started to notice the eyeballs that were stealing glances at them.

"I'm assuming that Kagurazaka made a scene last night when she found out that boya was moving out." Evangeline said to Chachamaru as she rested her chin on her left hand.

"Yes." Chachamaru replied.

"...Predictable."

* * *

**_Later that night..._**

Evangeline pulled her hair over her shoulders so it wouldn't get in the way of Negi's hands and she leaned forward. Negi squeezed the back scrubber to release any of the excess water that was absorbed inside and placed the scrubber against the tiny vampire's back before running it up and down. A soft moan of pleasure escaped her lips and the young magister felt her shoulders relax. She obviously had a lot of tension built up.

"Um, master? Did Chachamaru scrub your back before?" Negi asked curiously. He saw Evangeline turn her head slightly to regard him and continued scrubbing.

"No. You're the first." Evangeline answered. "Be honored boya. You are the first midian to be given the privilege of touching me so intimately." Negi felt himself blush at her words, said with such sultry tones and the vampiress chuckled. "You blush very easily boya. I can see that you aren't used to teasing very much."

"...No."

"Get used to it."

"A-alright." Negi scrubbed her back a little more, lightening up a bit as thoughts wandered through his mind and he asked, "Master? I've been wanting to ask you something for a long time."

"What is it?" Evangeline asked.

"...How is it that my father managed to defeat you?" Negi asked...needless to say this wasn't the best of questions to ask. This was especially true when you were alone in a shower chamber, scrubbing the back of a very dangerous wizard who just happens to know almost everything about you.

...Silence...

"You know what? I guess I shouldn't have asked that." Negi said quickly, scrubbing a little faster.

"Not a really wise question to ask at all boya." Evangeline said in a deathly soft voice. She suddenly rose from the shower stool she was sitting on much to Negi's growing fear and turned to face him before placing a hand on his shoulder and pinning him against the wet wall of the chamber. The vampiress could practically hear Negi's heartbeat accelerate when she did this and smiled deviously. She loved the cute look on his face whenever he was scared.

"So, why do you want to know boya?" Evangeline asked with a cruel smirk. She leaned over so that her nose brushed against his. "I find it so odd that you would ask me such a question right now when I'm a little vulnerable. Me having my back towards you and all."

"What d-do you mean master? I was j-just curious!" Negi cried out in fear. He watched the way her eyes wandered over his neck and his body went rigid.

"What are you getting so scared for Negi?" Evangeline allowed her hand to fall from his shoulder and she crossed her arms. "I was just messing with ya'. I can understand why you would be so curious. The "Thousand Master" was your father and all." She watched Negi clutch his chest as he steadied his heart and giggled.

"...I mean...you're so powerful!" Negi praised her. "I just don't see how he was able to defeat you!"

"Don't try to win me with flattery boya. Besides..." Her eyes narrowed at him playfully as she took a few steps away from him. "...If I recall, you already had the audacity to peek in to my dreams before. There is no other dream that haunts me as much as my defeat at his hands."

"Y-yeah...but I still don't understand. You could've-"

"Gotten out of the leak soup?" Evangeline cut him off with a scoff.

"...Well...what's wrong with that?" Negi asked stupidly.

"Besides the fact he could have blasted me with a spell of his own while I'm open?" Evangeline turned her head to the side with a creeping blush and continued, "You father knew some very personal things about me and that's the reason he was my most formidable adversary. You see.." Evangeline turned to him and started to approach him. "...Your father and I had a few talks while we traveled together in the past." The vampiress started off, neglecting to mention that Nagi was usually on the run from her and she was always pursuing him.

"Talks about what?" asked Negi.

"Just talks boya. Let's not get in to detail, huh?" Evangeline responded with a frown. "Anyway, in one of our talks I just happened to allow the embarrassing fact that I can't swim, slip out."

"Ohhhh yeah." Negi mused on, remembering Chachamaru's words to him as Evangeline fell from the campus bridge at the climax of their second engagement. "That's all?" Negi had quite the knack to say the wrong things to the wrong people it would seem.

"WHAT?" Evangeline asked darkly, pinning Negi against the wall again. "Yeah, that's all boya. I don't know how to swim. Do you have anything to say about it?" Negi could already see the madness swirling in the tiny vampire's eyes, but for once he was about to say something that would make Evangeline blink.

"I could teach you how to swim if you want." Negi offered calmly.

...Evangeline blinked...

"Teach me how to swim?" Evangeline asked, recovering from his words.

"Y-yeah. It'll be fun!" Negi exclaimed cheerfully.

"Fun?"

"Yep!"

"Fun?"

"Yeah."

"Drag me out in to a large body of water and I'll have fun watching you writhe in agony." The vampiress retorted with a scoff.

"But why not?!" Negi asked feeling a little disappointed.

"Do you really thing I would put my life in your hands? What'll you do if I drown?!" She inwardly felt bad when she felt the hurt in Negi when she said those words.

"...Chachamaru will be there to make sure you don't!" Negi perked up immediately. "So will you let me do it?"

"...I'll think about it." Evangeline finally said before taking her seat on the shower stool again. "Now scrub my back. I don't think you were putting much effort in to it earlier with all the conversation."

"Y-yes master!"

* * *

"S-so...how do you thing Negi is doing at Evangeline's house?" Konoka suddenly asked Asuna as she turned away from her homework. She watched as Asuna climbed down from Negi's former space in the dorm room and walk to the couch. 

"I just hope he doesn't die in there."

**_To be continued..._**

_A little short, maybe? Don't worry, there will be a bit more focus on Negi's life in Evangeline's house later, and the festival arc is going to start soon. The next chapter will lead in to it!_

_Until then, see ya..._

**_Traingham..._**


	11. The beginning of Mischief

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Eleven: MahoNET Wonders_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

The Mahora Festival tournament was getting frighteningly close and with that in mind Negi asked for a little more training than usual. With the knowledge that Kotaro would be awaiting him Negi wasn't sure if all he had done so far would prepare him for a match with his friend. Mana being there also put some worry on the young magi's mind because he had seen her in action before. The young woman was pretty cold and calculating when it came to being on the field of combat so he wasn't expecting her to be a push over at all. To make matters a bit more interesting he now had to keep Setsuna, Kaede, Ku-Fei, and possibly even Asuna in mind.

_This is going to be pretty exciting though. I mean- _Negi stopped thinking for a moment to duck under an incoming kick._- With Master Ku and Setsuna there, I'm sure it's going to be pretty rough. I've learned practically all of my martial arts from Ku-Fei and Setsuna is faster than anyone I've ever seen- _Negi shifted his thoughts aside yet again as he side stepped his opponent and kicked away to put some distance between them._-Asuna is going to be hard to deal with as well. Setsuna has been training her after all, and Kotaro looks fired up every time I see him._

"You aren't all here boya!" Evangeline said with a smirk as she brought both of her hands at her sides and thrusted both her palms in to Negi's chest! The young magi staggered back painfully after the vampiress made impact and found it a little hard to breathe for a few seconds. His eyes widened with alert when; Evangeline whipped around brought him to the ground with an elegant leg sweep. Apparently she knew more about martial arts than she let on.

"You've got to keep focused!" Evangeline rose up from her leg sweep stance and brought her leg up over her head before bringing it down upon Negi. The young magi rolled away just in time to avoid being struck down deeper in to the sand and swung his legs in to the air before jerking forward roughly to land back on his feet.

"Hyah!" Negi whipped around with a backhand fist only to have it block by Evangeline. The vampiress grinned when she saw the surprise on his face and said, "Too slow boya." She grabbed ahold of his arm and kicked him off balance with one of her feet while twirling him with the hand she blocked with. Negi found himself on the ground again much to his frustration. Evangeline crouched over his fallen form and grabbed ahold of his hand.

"That's one strike." She said with a grin as she lifted a finger to her mouth and bit lightly. Negi winced as she sucked the blood streaming out of his finger and wiped her mouth when she got her little drink. "Get back up boya." She stood upright again and took a few steps away from him. Negi got back to his feet and in to a fighting stance with an obedient nod.

"Now come at me." Evangeline ordered him.

"Right!" Negi advanced with a forward thrust of his elbow but-

**_BAP!_**

Negi rubbed the back of his head when Evangeline moved in and side stepped him before back handing him across the head. "Too slow!" Negi dipped in to a leg sweep but it sounded as if Evangeline cut in to the wind as she jumped over his attack and skipped off the top of his head. She landed on the ground with a chuckle and placed a hand on her hip.

"How do you ever expect to lay a hand on me with that speed? Even with your enhanced natural abilities as a vampire, you can't touch me." Evangeline got in to a stance and narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Allow me to come to you, hmmm?"

"...Whoa." Negi said in awe when Evangeline slipped her tessen out from her sash and flicked it open. The vampiress walked to him quickly and closed the fan with a snap as she thrust forward with a palm to the gut, but Negi managed to kick backwards just in time to avoid being hit. Evangeline held the tessen in her hand backwards and whipped up with a strike for his chin. Negi was back down to the ground in a matter of seconds when the hilt of the fan struck him.

"Strike two, Negi." Evangeline said with another chuckle. She stood over him again and grabbed ahold of his hand to bite another finger for a sip. "I'll hand it to you for dodging my first attack though. Shall we so this again?"

"O-of course!" answered Negi.

"Then get up boya, and come at me again."

As the master and disciple went at it again, Chachamaru and Chachazero watched on from a nearby beach table. They watched as Negi rushed in to attack Evangeline and both cringed when they saw the vampiress strike Negi with another rising tessen and catch him with a roundhouse that sent him staggering backwards. they watched intently when Negi went in for another attempt and cringed yet again when Evangeline countered easily. So far this was beginning to seem as though it was going nowhere.

"Wait a second!" Chachazero cried out excitedly when she saw Negi get in for a strike again but, "Ouch." She watched her master get taken down with an elbow lock and shook her head in disappointment.

"It would seem that the mistress is bullying Negi-kun rather than training him." Chachamaru commented.

"I wouldn't expect any different from her." Chachazero replied. "Master is getting better at his martial arts though, and his speed is improving to stand up to Eva-san like this."

"You may be right." said Chachamaru before cringing again when Evangeline blocked a punch with her iron fan. Chachamaru tightened her fist when the vampiress grabbed Negi by the neck and slammed him to the ground. Chachazero on the other hand clapped her hands in amazement.

"Brutal..."

**_----------------------------------------------_**

**_After Training..._**

**_---------------------------------------------_**

Negi winced at the sore pains all over his body when he sat down at the table outside on Evangeline's porch. She told him to meet her there for breakfast but so far the tiny vampire had not come. He wouldn't take her for the type to play such a prank as to leave him outside to wait for no one at all but then again, she was evil. Chachazero climbed down from her usual perch on his head and took a seat at the edge of the table to swing her legs back and forth.

"Nice match at the resort master." Chachazero praised him. "Although I think Eva-san landed quite a few more hits than you." The puppet looked away for a moment to play it off when Negi bowed his head and turned back to say, "Don't worry though! You're going to reach her level someday!"

"Thanks." Negi said with a sigh. "I'd doubt it would be any day of this century." He added sarcastically before resting his head on the table. Chachazero patted the top of his head with one of her small hands and turned her attention to the house entrance when Chachazero walked out to approach the table with a blood packet in her hand. When the android reached them she placed a hand on Negi's head and stroked him gently to get his attention.

"Negi-kun." She called his name softly.

"Yes Chachama-" Negi stopped in mid-sentence when his eyes locked on the blood packet in her hand. Chachamaru sensed what was the reason for his sudden silence and placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him still. "...Do I have to drink that?" Negi asked.

"The mistress ordered it." Chachamaru lied, holding the pack closer to him. Negi nodded dejectedly and took it from her before poking the straw in to it with a sigh and sipping from it. As usual his drink started out slowly but as the taste triggered his thirst his gulps became audible and moans of pleasure gently came from his throat. The android couldn't help but be entranced by the way he drank but her moment of observation was ended when the house door opened again and Evangeline walked out wearing a cute outfit resembling a French maid uniform with the exception of the white apron. Negi's impression of her, however, kept him from thinking of her as "cute".

"Revitalizing isn't it?" Evangeline asked her disciple as she watched him gulp down the rest of the blood pack. Chachamaru relieved him of it when he was done and returned inside the house to tend to her duties.

"Sure it is." Negi replied dryly.

"Still can't get over the thought of drinking blood?" The vampiress asked with a grin. "Even after you gulp it down so easily after the first drop touches your tongue? Why hurt yourself by attempting to shun what it is you desire?" Evangeline took her seat across from him and crossed her legs.

"Because it is't right." Negi replied as he ran his hands through his hair with a long sigh.

"Because it isn't right?" Evangeline echoed him with a chuckle before her expression became serious. "Right or wrong, it doesn't matter. If you get thirsty you're going to drink whether you like it or not, and by the looks of it, you like it. Now, if you want to deny it like some fool then do it but I'm going to warn you for the last time..."The vampiress slammed her hand on the table with a sinister grin gracing her lips. "...If you don't drink two things can happen and they aren't pretty. You'll either die from the lack of nutrients your blood needs or your thirst will consume you at some point and you'll wake up, covered with blood that isn't your own."

"D-do we really have to talk about this?!" Negi snapped at her.

"Yes." Evangeline replied. "And if you know what's good for you then you'll listen well because I know from experience." Evangeline yawned from boredom and rested her chin on her left hand still looking at him. "But this talk is starting to bore me anyway so let's refrain from that issue, huh?"

"What is there to talk about?"

"Plenty of things boya. Tell me, how do you like it in my house so far?" Evangeline asked.

"I'm fine here." Negi replied.

"Really? Are you sure nothing is bothering you?"

"Well, besides the fact that I'm going to be away from Asuna and Konoka...nothing at all."

"Is that so? I hear you talk to yourself at night." Evangeline said wit a grin. "I've even seen you cry to yourself too. Something deep down in that head of yours is bothering you."

"I-it's nothing." Negi said quickly.

_Why does Eva-san spy on master Negi in the first place?_ Chachazero thought to herself as she studied Evangeline curiously with her head cocked to the side._ I'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled for now on. Eva just might try to jump master in his sleep!_

"Whatever you say." The vampiress said with a sigh. She stole a glance at the house door when Chachamaru walked out with two plates in her hands and set them down on the table for them. After she was done serving them their food she took a seat with them and watched on silently. Evangeline ate her food with her ever-present grin while Negi stabbed at his food and the vampiress finally stole a glance at him before allowing her utensils to clatter on to the plate.

"Why aren't you eating Negi?" Evangeline asked in annoyance. "Do you need to be fed by me or something?"

"Um, n-no!"

"Perhaps Chachamaru then?" The vampiress went on, motioning to Chachamaru with her right hand.

"I'm fine!" Negi replied.

"Then eat already. You're starting to bother me."

_I'm starting to bother you? Are you seriously worried about me master? I-I don't know what to thi-_

_Don't think anything of it boya. _Evangeline's voice invaded his mind as a smirk ran it's way across her face. Yet again, Negi had totally forgotten that they were telepathically bonded. He blushed deeply at his thoughts being so open and turned away from her sheepishly. When he did, he saw Setsuna and Konoka walking to the residence. Chamo was perched upon one of Setsuna's shoulders and the grin on his furry little visage made Negi's skin crawl. He could already tell that the thoughts swirling in the ermines mind was full of mischief and perverse thoughts.

"Company?" Evangeline said softly when she noticed the arrival as well. The only thing that was keeping her from sending them off was the fact that she had some respect for Setsuna and that Konoka was the headmaster's granddaughter. Regardless of that she still didn't appreciate the unexpected visitors. They were interrupting something.

"Hey girls!" Negi greeted them cheerfully with a wave, unaware of the way Evangeline glared at him when he did. The look on her face was bound to put some holes in the back of the young magi's head.

"Negi-sensei!" Setsuna called out ot him as she returned the wave. Both girls ran up the porch stairs to reach him and they stood at both sides of his chair before greeting the vampiress as well.

"Good morning Eva-san." Setsuna greeted with a bow.

"G'morning Eva!" Konoka greeted in her usual fashion.

"Yeah, yeah." Evangeline said casually with a flick of her wrist. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Chamo trembled when her eyes stopped on him for a brief second.

"We just need to speak with Negi-kun." Konoka replied before Setsuna could. "In private though." With those words Konoka and Setsuna nodded to each other and grabbed ahold of Negi's shoulders before standing him up from his seat and leading him down the porch stairs. When they were far enough from Evangeline the vampiress turned to Chachamaru and asked, "Why didn't we install an alarm system?"

"Mainly because we figured that no one would be foolish enough to trespass on your property mistress." Chachamaru replied. "Is the mistress unsettled by the appearance of Negi's students?"

"...Of course not." Evangeline replied after some time.

"It took you some time to answer that question mistress." The android observed astutely.

"S-so?!"

Negi blinked a few times when Setsuna and Konoka examined him in silence and finally decided to break the air of tension that was forming around them. "So what did you two girls want to talk about." He flinched when Setsuna placed hand on his shoulder without warning . "...Um, are you two okay?"

"Actually that's my line Negi-sensei." Setsuna said quickly. "How has your stay been so far? Have you experienced any discomfort? Any sickness of some sort? Are there any bruises on your body that you wish to inform us of?"

"W-what are y-y-you t-talking about?!" Negi stammered, taking a step back from Setsuna and Konoka.

"Well, you see...we figured that Eva-san may be a cruel care taker, you know? I mean, her training is pretty rough isn't it?" Konoka asked in worry. "Is she feeding you well? I can cook you lunch and dinner if you want. I'll be glad to bring it to you everyday!"

"I'm fine. Really!" Negi assured them. "Asuna didn't put you up to this, did she?"

"No." Setsuna answered calmly. "Our worry for you isn't the only reason we came to visit Negi-sensei. We require your help on a matter that we feel only you can resolve."

"What matter?"

"You see...Asuna is having a little trouble." Chamo said with a grin that Negi didn't even think the ermine's face was capable of. "She wants ot date Takamichi for the festival, but she doesn't have toe courage or the experience to do it." Chamo pulled out a cigarette from seemingly out of nowhere and leaned against Setsuna's neck before going on. "So we decided to put her on a practice date to boost her confidence!"

Negi took some time to digest this information and scratched his leg with his other foot. When he was able to finally piece all the details together he managed to find something oddly out of place about what he was being told. "I understand all of that but...I don't see where I come in. How am I the one to solve this problem?"

"Oh, you'll see. Asuna is comfortable with you so naturally you're the perfect person to go with her on the practice date!" Chamo was going in to his lecherous mode now. "Who knows? You might like the experience!"

"Do you realize how weird and wrong this is? How is Asuna going to gain any confidence from dating someone who is way younger than Takamichi?!" Negi was flailing his arms now, making both girls step back to a safe distance.

"Come on, aniki! Our entire world is composed on the very word, "weird"! Just come over to the dorm and I'll show you how we can make this possible!"

"But...it just-"

"We'll see you over there! And don't take long big brother!" When the ermine was done speaking, Setsuna and Konoka saw him off with a bow and dismissed themselves from the residence. Negi could only stare at their fleeting forms with his mouth wide open. This was definitely going to be something out of the ordinary and knowing that Chamo was behind it all made him rather...frightened.

"So what was that all about boya?" Evangeline questioned Negi once he returned to the table. Negi's eyes rested on the sight of the wine glass she had in her hand which was filled with some sort of crimson substance and hoped that it wasn't what he though it was. He realized that Evangeline was still awaiting an answer and replied, "They just wanted to talk."

"About?" Evangeline urged him on.

"W-well, nothing too important!" Negi replied in a manner that aroused the vampiress's suspicion.

"Oh really?"

"Y-yep." Negi suddenly stood up from the table again and started to laugh nervously. _Don't thik about the conversation Negi! Don't think about the conversation! Think about...er-her hair! She'll be pleased to know that I'm thinking abut her hair! Golden locks...darn...this sin't working!_

What Negi didn't know was that his plan was working to his advantage. Evangeline was having a hard time making out what was on his mind and naturally it was beginning to annoy the hell out of her...which wasn't a good thing in a way.

"W-well, I'll be going!" Negi jumped on the rail of the porch, making Evangeline and Chachamaru very suspicious indeed.

"**_Where_** are you going? You haven't even touched your breakfast sensei? Do you intend to just leave me to eat alone?" Evangeline had her right hand clutching the table cloth fiercely but her face didn't show anything.

"I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you later master!"

"Don't leave me master Negi!" Chachazero cried out as she clutched his pants leg. Negi scooped her in to his arms and before Evangeline could utter another word, he kicked off from the rail and took off in to the sky. The gust that kicked up from his take off caused all the napkins on the table to fly about and both girl's hair to flow to the side.

...and there was silence...

"He was off in a hurry." Chachamaru stated calmly; her thoughts whisked away at the idea of her taking Chachazero's place in Negi's arms. It was a very good thing that Evangeline couldn't read the thoughts of artificial intelligence...

"It seems that he's improved his take off too." Evangeline observed with a hint of pride laced in her words. "Boya will make it up to me later." Evangeline stood up and started off to descend the stairsteps. "Clean up this mess Chachamaru."

"Yes mistress."

* * *

Asuna paced back and forth through the living room while Yue, Nodoka, Ku-fei, Kaede, Kazumi, and Makie watched. With the speed that the redhead was picking up, they were surprised that skid marks had not appeared on the carpet yet. Setsuna and Konoka were with Chamo inside the bedroom as he searched through the things he bought off of the MahoNET. There were some things that both girls didn't even want to know about among the things he purchased, and some items that captured their interest. Back at the living room,. Makie decided to speak up.

"Asuna, don't you think you're taking this a little too hard? It isn't going to kill you just to confess to Takahata-sensei!"

"Y-YES IT WILL!" Asuna cried out as she flailed her arms wildly.

"But imagine Mr. Takahata if he say yes!" Ku-Fei exclaimed. "Would be very pleasant surprise, no?"

"Asuna-san is helpless!" Kazumi said with a grin. "Her voice practically dies in her throat every time Takamichi is around. Heh, the poor girl.

"But, you can't possibly blow this chance! It's the festival for crying out loud!" said Makie in disbelief. "This is a once in a lifetime chance Asuna-san."

"Won't you feel terrible if you just give up before you even try?" Kaede asked.

"D-don't mind me. I don't care if he doesn't love me back." Asuna's shoulders slumped and she finally took a seat beside Kazumi. "I'll j-just have to get used to being his stalker or something."

"...Asuna...you bug me out sometimes." The photographer said, shuffling away from her friend a little. Setsuna and Konoka entered the living room with Chamo and everyone turned their attention to them.

"Don't worry yourself Asuna. I'll handle everything!" The ermine said confidently. He sweat dropped when Asuna turned to look at him with a look of murder and she stood up to approach them before snatching him off of Setsuna's shoulder.

"You'll handle everything?!" Asuna started to squeeze him, eliciting a squeaking noise from the tiny ermine. "Just tell me how you can fix my heart?!"

"C-calm down Asuna." Konoka tried to simmer her friend down before she could squeeze the life out of Chamo.

There was a knock at the door and all of the girls voices fell silent. Setsuna headed back to open the door for the person outside and allowed Negi to come in. When both of them entered the living room together all of the girls were aroused with excitement once again.

"Hi everybody!" Negi greeted them.

"Hey Negi-sensei!" The girls in unison with the exception of Asuna and Setsuna greeted him. The red head turned to face Negi; Chamo still gripped in her hand and asked, "W-what are you doing here squirt?"

"Chamo-kun wanted me to come over to help you out with your problem." At Negi's words, Chamo found Asuna's grip get even tighter as she faced him again.

"Y-you told him about it?!" She growled with a furious blush creeping on her face.

"I...can explain!" Chamo managed to choke out. "J-just...let me go so I can breathe!"

**_After the explanation..._**

"ME?! You want me to date Negi?!" Chamo-kun..." Asuna placed a hand on Negi's head and practically tossed him away. "...Why would you even think such a-why would I wanna go out on a date with him?!" She heard all of the girls talking amongst each other behind them and whipped around before yelling, "Don't get any wise ideas!"

"For practice- Only for practice! This date isn't for real!" Chamo pulled out a cigarette again. "In both love and war it's all about experience kids. The point is to get you two through a few test drives and by the time you ask Takamichi out, it'll be smooth sailin' from there."

"Listen her ermine-"

"For all your talk, you still haven't even dated have ya'?" The ermine looked around the room and repeated himself to all the girls this time. "Have ya'?!" He smirked when all he got in response was gibberish and blushes.

"Well it isn't a bad idea." Konoka said with a giggle. "Tomorrow starts the final weekend before the festival so all of the stands should be up already. It'll be the perfect day to do a dry run!"

"It still doesn't change the fact that she'll be having this practice date with a kid." said Kazumi, "I mean, how awkward is that?"

"Y-yeah!" Asuna agreed before watching the mischievous grin that found it's place on the ermines face.

"Kono-chan?" Chamo called to Konoka. The girl nodded her head and set a large white bag on the table beside him. All the girls watched as the ermine carefully peeled the side of the bag off a large glass jar that was filled with what seemed like gum balls.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! I've come prepared for just this situation. This is some super secret stuff that I bought from the MahoNET." The ermine suddenly lifted the jar over his head with strength that NEgi never thought he had in him and declared, "Age Misrepresentation pastilles! These marvelous candy drops make people think you're older than you actually are!"

"Kind of like how Evangeline does it?!" Negi asked in wonder.

"Exactly how Eva-san does it!" Chamo replied.

"Are you serious? So this'll make sensei look like an adult?" Nodoka asked in disbelief.

"That's right!" Chamo replied. Negi began to notice all of the girls eyes on him and felt very nervous. Makie practically hopped off of her seat from the excitement and cried out, "I've got to see this!"

"Kazumi pulled out her digital camera with a smile. "I'm not missing this for the world."

"I...I...I..I...I can't see this!" Nodoka cried out bashfully as she buried her head in to one of the couch cushions.

"Interesting." Kaede mused with a cat-like grin.

"Alright then aniki." Chamo spoke to Negi. "Before we do this, you have to take off the clothes you have on. We don't want you to rip out of them."

"A-alright." Negi said nervously, but his legs wouldn't allow him to walk to the bathroom.

"Well?" Ku-Fei asked impatiently. "Go now disciple!"

"A-alright!" Negi regained control of hi legs and ran to the bathroom.

"I don't believe this." Asuna mumbled under her breath as she ran one of her hands down her face.

"You have to admit though. This does look like it will prove to be interesting." said Setsuna.

"Oh no, Setsuna. You too?"

All of the girls squealed in delight at how cute Negi looked, walking back in with a very large towel wrapped around his waist and his faithful familiar, Chachazero perched on his head. It was starting to eat him up to find himself being watched by some of his students and the silence that followed made him want to disintegrate in to thin air. Konoka received a red gumball from Chamo and approached Negi.

"Now, everyone watch closely!" The ermine got everyone's attention. "Watch as your teacher becomes a man before your very eyes!" For some reason all the girls could hear a drum roll in the distance. They watched, trying hard to to blink as Konoka popped the red gumball in to Negi's mouth and he chewed on it; It being soft and tasting like cinnamon. Then before their very eyes the young magi was engulfed in a white puff of smoke that took his shape and gradually started to grow until it was much taller than Konoka and Asuna. The smoke stayed still for a moment before finally clearing away and dissipating. When the smoke was cleared the jaw of every girl in the room would have dropped to the floor if it was physically possible.

There he stood, transformed in to a spitting image of Nagi. He was tall and slightly muscular, not so unlike most of the male teenage actors on a mid-afternoon drama soap. His face was charming and attractive with an unusual aura of mischief surrounding him. His stomach was hard and toned making even Kazumi start to drool. Needless to say, Negi had become the ideal stereotypical vision of every lovesick teenage girl, and when he opened his eyes to take in the sight of every girl in the room he was scared to see all of the hungry looks on their faces. Disturbingly enough, even Yue and Setsuna seemed to be in some sort of love daze, however, it didn't strike him as much as the others.

"Um, Asuna?" Negi asked in a gentle voice that sent shivers down his student's backs. Asuna regarded him with a distant blushing expression for a moment but she snapped out of it quickly and asked, "W-what i-i-is it squirt?!" Her words fell quite short seeing as how he was no longer the short boy from before.

"Do you think this will work out?" He asked hopefully.

"Aiyaaa." Ku-fei cooed with her hand on her cheek. "I want practice date too! Negi will make very good husband for the future!" The Chinese girl jumped out of her seat and almost rushed the transformed young man but Kaede held her in place.

"You forget that this is still our little Negi-sensei." The ninja said, trying to keep Ku-fei from moving.

"B-but...it's so convincing!" Konoka chirped, running a hand down Negi's newly formed abs. He jumped back from the unexpected touch and Chachazero unsheathed her blades in a threatening manner.

"I will protect master from these lustful females!" The puppet declared. "Have you all no shame?!"

"Chill out Zero!" Chamo said with a casual wave of his paw. "As all of you girls can see, these babies produce some very good results. Now do you believe me?!"

"Uh-huh." All the girls gawked in unison.

Now then..." The ermine pulled out a measuring lace and set it down on the table. "...If aniki is going to date then someone needs to take some measurements and buy him some decent clothes." His lecherous side kicked in with full force. "Who's going to do it?"

**_"I WILL!"_** The voices of every girl (Excluding Asuna, and Nodoka) in the dorm could be heard from the hall outside.

* * *

**_Turning away from that mess..._**

Evangeline crossed her arms as she looked at the Go board to plan her next move. Her opponent watched her with increasing fear when the vampiress regarded her with a liquid cool stare and inhaled sharply when she made her move, ending the game in the process. Evangeline watched as her opponent left the table and massaged to back of her neck with a sigh. Once again she won another match and yet it felt so boring to be here. It would seem that most of her amusement came from teasing Negi, who at the moment was not present.

"You appear to be bored mistress. What is the matter?" Chachamaru asked curiously. The vampiress would usually have a ball dominating the competition.

"I guess this just isn't doing it for me anymore." Evangeline replied dully. "At this point, even boya's swimming lessons sound tempting. I wonder what he was so erratic about earlier. It just doesn't make sense."

"Negi-kun does seem much more comfortable around us."

"Enough to lie in my face apparently." Evangeline quipped. She regarded Chachamaru with an observant gaze and said, "I've noticed that you address boya with a little more familiarity now."

"...He wishes for us to be on much more familiar terms." Chachamaru replied, averting her eyes slightly. Evangeline nodded her head in amusement at this development in her partner yet at the same time something bothered her about Negi wanting to be on much familiar terms with the android. The young magi wouldn't have been developing a crush on Chachamaru would he? Unbeknownst to the chibi-vampire, Chachamaru was the one developing the crush.

"How nice." Evangeline commented as she stood up. Chachamaru saw this and stood up as well in preparation to follow her. "Lets get going. I'm in the mood to have a drink."

"Yes mistress." Chachamaru complied, following the vampiress out of the club. When they stepped out in to the sidewalk they noticed Makie and Kaede walking together with bags of clothing in their hand. It wasn't so much that they had clothing that caught Evangeline's attention but rather the type of clothing they were carrying. Now why in the world would those girl be walking around with clothes from outside the campus?

_Perhaps those clothes are meant for a certain boy I know. _Evangeline thought to herself as her eyes followed the walking pair. _Despite that I don't want to get involved with those brats. The last thing I need is for them to try and make me in to one of them._

**_-------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Back to the Practice date situation..._**

**_------------------------------------------------------------_**

"I wonder how he'll look in those new clothes we bought him!" Konoka squealed excitedly to Asuna who seemed to be far from calm with the whole idea. Regardless of how Negi looked she still didn't feel all too comfortable with dating him. He had been living with her so long that the only way she could view him was as a little boy and to see him take the form of a young man...perturbed her.

"I'm seriously not going to enjoy this." Asuna muttered dully.

"Oh, come on Asuna!" Chamo told he with a flick of his paw. "Try to have fun with this one, huh? How else will you be able to get yourself comfortable in this situation?"

"I don't want to date Negi!"

"It's a practice date for crying out loud! There is nothing serious about this!" The ermine turned his attention to the bathroom door when he heard it open. All the girls turned their attention to the open door as well and got excited when Negi stepped out. He wore black jeans and a black shirt with a white jacket. He stopped when he was standing in front of Asuna and asked, "What do you think?"

"About what?" Asuna asked.

"The clothes."

"Oh..yeah...they're fine, I guess." The red head replied awkwardly. After their exchange there was a pregnant silence between them that started to make everyone else in the room impatient for some sort of reaction. Chamo, seeing that they were going to do nothing at all, whispered something in to Setsuna's ear and before Negi and Asuna knew it...

...they were outside the door...

"So..." Negi fiddled with his hair mistakenly tapping Chachazero's hand and pulled it back quickly. He realized something would be off if the others saw him walking around with a puppet perched on his head and grabbed Chachazero to pull her off. The puppet regarded him questionably as he looked back at her and asked, "What's wrong master Negi?"

"I can't take you with me." Negi replied.

"...Why?"

"I'd arouse to much attention if I walked around with you in this adult form." Negi knocked on the door to the dorm room and waited for someone to open it.

"N-Negi?" Kazumi said dreamily, making Asuna roll her eyes. "What's up? Shouldn't you two be out on your date already?"

"I need you to watch over Chachazero for me while I'm out." Negi held the puppet out to Kazumi but just as her hand almost made contact with the puppet she curled up in to a ball. "Chachazero? What are you doing?"

"I don't wanna leave master Negi."

"I'll be back!" Negi cried out frustrated. "Come on Chacha-chan. Jusst listen to Kazumi just this once and stay here. Please?"

"Alright." Chachazero submitted to his wishes and allowed herself to be taken by Kazumi. When she shut the door Negi sighed and Asuna giggled.

"It looks like she's pretty attached to you." Asuna joked.

"I seriously had no idea." Negi replied in surprise. "I guess she really feels more than she lets up." The magi said with a chuckle as he massaged the back of his neck out of pure nervous habit. He looked to Asuna shyly and went on, "So...shall we go then?"

"Sur-" Asuna stopped and regarded Negi with a skeptical look. "Now let's get one thing straight Negi! This is a practice date so don't go flaunting yourself to me just because you got all cute and cool!" Asuna heard herself allow that one slip and cupped her hands over her mouth quickly. _Dammit! How did I just let myself say that out loud?! Wha-what the heck is going on here...I just look in to his eyes and my mind just totally shuts down!_

"You think I'm cool?! Really?!" Negi asked childishly.

"You know...hearing you ask me that in that body seriously makes me want to punch you..."

It was a beautiful day outside and just the perfect day to go out on a date, however, there were some people on the campus who saw it as a day to gather information. A day to stalk their prey and corner them so as to take what they needed. Takane Goodman found this to be the best day to have her second conversation with Negi Springfield. Sure, her last conversation didn't get her much but she was sure to ask the right questions this time to get the young magi to spill the info. She whipped her hair to the side so it would get in to her face and began to scout the area.

"Come on Negi-sensei. Where are you?" The blonde magistress asked no one in particular as she searched the campus grounds. She was sure to pin point his aura since it stood out so much from all the others on campus. Oddly enough she found herself sensing other magic auras amongst the students on campus but she simply convinced herself that those were undercover mages posing as faculty members. Suddenly without warning she felt a familiar aura pass right by her and she whipped around to see who it was. She saw Negi and Asuna's fleeting forms and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What?"

Asuna licked her ice cream, stealing glances at her partner every few seconds with a blush on her face. The way Negi licked his ice-cream made her feel rather odd and she could feel her cheeks burning up. _That face was definitely not made for eating ice cream! Why am I getting so worked up about a squirt in disguise?!_

"Hey!" Negi suddenly said out of the blue as he licked the ice cream off his lips. "Why don't we go check out that shrine up there?" He asked, pointing at the long flight of stair steps leading up to what he was talking about. Now Asuna had two choices in the matter. She could say no and suffer the look of disappointment that would probably plaster itself on Negi's face or she could say yes and prepare herself for a walk up all of those stairs, leaving enough time for conversation.

Her answer was, "...Whatever. Let's go."

"Alright then. Shall we go Asuna-kun?" Negi asked, trying to offer her a lady killer grin. Asuna found herself blushing again until she spotted Negi's abnormally long canines. She wasn't sure what was the deal with them but it was clear that the pills kept some traits in effect. The look on Negi's face took her mind off of his teeth though so she opted to answer his grin with a-

**_BAP!_**

"O-ow!"Negi groaned as he rubbed his jaw. "Why...did you hit m-me?"

"Get used to it!"

"Who is that guy?" Takane thought aloud as she observed the violent couple in front of her...well at least the girl of the couple was violent. She wasn't sure why she punched the guy but she was so much more interested in the aura she was sensing from him. Not only that but the guys hair resembled, "Negi's hair..." Takane finished her thoughts out loud. "I need to get a look at his face."

"So Asuna-san?" Negi called to her as they ascended the stairs to the shrine.

"What is it Negi?" Asuna asked in an aggravated voice.

"This practice date is meant solely so you'd be able to keep your cool when you date Takamichi right?"

"Yeah...what about it?"

"What is it about him that you like?"

"W-well. I can see that you're not going to make this conversation very subtle."

"I just wanna know."

"It's really none of your business." Asuna started off harshly but she went on anyway. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt me to tell you a little something. When I first came here to Mahora, Takamichi was the one to take care of me. You see these bells?" She motioned to the bells in her hair as she asked Negi.

"Yeah."

"These were his first and last presents to me. I cherish them well."

"I had no idea..."

"Of course you didn't." Asuna snapped. The both of them finally reached the shrine at the top fo the staircase and the red head leaned against the shrine gateway to catch her breath. "Gawd...I never understood why they make it so hard to reach these places."

"I didn't think it was har-"

"Shaddup!" Asuna cut Negi off. She looked around in search of something and sighed in relief when she found what she was looking for: A bathroom to clear her thoguts while she prepared herself for another hour with Negi. "Alright Negi. Just give me a few minutes while I head to the bathroom okay?"

"Yes Asuna-san." Negi replied before she left him beside the gateway alone. He leaned against it in wait, looking around idly until he heard the footsteps of another visitor to the shrine. He made the unwise choice of turning the see who it was and came face to face with Takane Goodman. The blonde magistress jumped back in surprise when he turned to face her because she was spying on him but when she saw the shocked look on his face as well she started to get suspicious.

"Um, h-hi!" Negi greeted her nervously. _NO, NO, NO! YOU aren't supposed to be calling her attention this way! Why did you speak to her stupid! STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!_

"Hi there yourself sir." Takane greeted him back, her head cocked to the side slightly. _This man has the same hair and same face as Negi sensei. They could both pass for blood relatives, and this aura I'm sensing from him...it's driving me nuts! Just who is this guy?_

Negi stared at Takane.

Takane stared back.

They both blinked at the same time.

...Silence...

"Have we met before sir?" Takane suddenly asked.

"I don't think so." Negi replied uneasily.

The look on Takane's face showed that she wasn't completely convinced...

**_To be continued..._**


	12. The Stalker

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Twelve: The Goodman Factor  
_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

The sweat was beginning to slip down Negi's forehead as the small exchange between Takane and himself had escalated in to a staring contest that urged him to end it quickly and run, yet at the same time warn him that it wouldn't be in his best interest to do something so foolish. He recalled Chachazero's words about the girl that something was false. He wasn't completely understanding of his familiar's words but something managed to click in his mind. Ever since he first crossed paths with Takane he started to see a lot more of her. Never mind the fact that she was going to be one of his co-workers. 

One more thing managed to make itself clear and it was the one thing that lit the fuse within Negi. He was aware that Takane was a magistress of the sort and that she had connections with other mages. This meant that she kept in touch with those other mages and if something were to slip about him using magic so openly around common people then he could very well get in trouble. Takamichi may be aware of the complex relationship he had with his students, including Evangeline, but he was sure that the young woman standing before him might have different sentiments. Then came the possibility that Asuna could come out of the bathroom and call out his name by mistake.

...He couldn't allow that to happen...

"Farewell." Negi bided Takane quickly as he turned away from her and started to walk but to his worse fears, Takane called to him. He turned around, observing the look of suspicion on her face and asked, "Yes miss?"

"Just _who_ are you?" Takane asked. "Tell me your name."

"...Oh my god!" Negi cried out unexpectedly. Takane saw the look of terror on his face and whipped around in fright to see what was causing the young man's distress. Now, Takane was a very intelligent young woman and she new this very well. Hell, she even went as far as to take an I.Q test when Mei managed to perplex her once but when she found nothing behind her and no one in front of her she felt retarded. The mysterious man had just utilized the oldest trick in the book and she played right in to his hands.

"Dammit!" Takane growled, narrowing her eyes furiously. She looked around to see where Negi had gone and a devious grin flashed across her face briefly as she took off running. She sensed a dark aura among the people crowding the stands and combed through the crowd in search of the magi. Negi, who was trying hard to find a place where no one could see him take off, stole a glance over his shoulder and pumped his legs harder when he got a glimpse of a nurse cap making it's way through the students.

_I messed up! I messed up! If Takane catches me then she'll probably tell the others about me! _Negi felt his heartbeat accelerate to the point that he feared it would burst out of his chest. His eyes darted around for a clear spot and a look of fierce determination washed over his features when he saw the ledge of the shrine grounds. He was going to have to take off from there. _I know Asuna is going to have her way with me when she finds out that I left her, but I don't wanna be turned in to an ermine! _Negi ran to the ledge and jumped off without a second thought. He saw the festival stands below and grinned when he found a secure place to land. His adrenaline pumped through his body when he made the landing and he resumed his run despite the fact that he managed to lose Takane.

_I'm home free! _Negi cheered inwardly as the biggest grin crossed his lips. That was until he turned on the next corner and saw Evangeline and Chachamaru coming his way. The grin on his face dropped instantly and pure terror gripped his heart. Evangeline turned away from Chachamaru when she was done speaking to her and the next thing she saw felt so surreal that she could have sworn that time stopped. Her legs went completely still and goose bumps crawled through her arms. The chibi-vampire made sure to remember what was the last thing she drank because at this moment Nagi stood before her and her heart was pumping at a speed that she thought it would have never be capable of again.

_Nag-_ The vampiress blinked and he wasn't there anymore. It was as though he were an illusion that whisked away with the air. It was an illusion that she was desperate to keep true. "Wh-what was that? Is my mind playing tricks on me or did I just happen to lapse into a day dream?" Evangeline was a little shaken by the bizarre moment she just experienced.

"Mistress, are you alright?" Chachamaru asked Evangeline when she heard her rambling on to herself.

"Did you see anything?!" Evangeline demanded to know. If Chachamaru got a little glimpse of what she saw then it would be possible to play it back in her memory files.

"I didn't see anything odd mistress." Chachamaru replied much to the vampiress's dismay.

Kotaro blushed deeply as Chizuru held his hand while they walked together as if they were brother and sister. This was no way for him to be seen, especially by Negi. What would the young magi say if he saw him being treated like a little child? He wouldn't stand for it! Kotaro turned to Chizuru quickly and said, "Look Chizu-nechan! It's about time that you stopped treating me like...er..." He lost his flare when Chizuru cocked her head to the side curiously with a loving look on her face. He felt himself blush and tried to go on. "...I'm t-trying to say...that..."

"You look so cute, blushing like that Kotaro!" The well-endowed girl squealed tenderly before taking the boy in to a hug that allowed him to confirm just how gifted her assets were...not that he really cared! This wasn't the sort of thing he was in to at all!

"L-let me go already!" Kotaro yelled, but to his dismay it sounded more like a strangled plea. He started to squirm in her arms but he paused when a distant look came upon Chizuru's face.

"Who is that?" She said in a questioning tone. Kotaro worked his way around her chest to turn his head and see who she was talking about. Negi walked slowly as he tried to steady himself and froze again when he looked to the side and saw Chizuru and Kotaro looking at him in the distance. Before a look of recognition could flash across Kotaro's face, Negi had already started to make tracks and disappeared in to the crowd.

"That guy looks really familiar." Kotaro observed aloud before saying his last words quietly. "And I could feel power coming off of him like crazy."

"He kind of looks like Negi-kun!" Chizuru exclaimed absent-mindedly. "Maybe sensei has some family on campus? How nice!"

"...I doubt it."

"Chamo is going to have a ball with this one." Negi muttered woefully, looking up to the sky as he walked on through the crowd.

"Hey Ako! What's up with that big thing on your shoulders? I thought we weren't doing any festival stuff until later!" Yuna called out to Ako when she saw her up ahead of her and Akira. "Wait up will ya'?" She gestured for Akira to follow her and they jogged up to Ako.

"It's for practice!" Ako replied shyly as she gestured to the bass guitar in the case. "Kakizaki and the others invited me to play in their band so...I'm in. Heh, heh."

"Yeah! I remember you saying something about that. Gawd, I'm jealous!" Yuna joked with a grin. "I'd play too but I suck with instruments."

"That's alright." Ako suddenly felt herself falling off balance. "I-I swear, this thing is so h-heavy!" Yuna and Ako tried to reach for her in time but to no avail-

"Whoa!" Negi grunted when he felt something bump in to him. He looked down to see who it was and asked, "Are you okay Ako?"

"Huh, um yeah." Ako replied, turning to see who caught her. When she saw Negi her entire world started to focus on nothing but him alone. She felt her legs go weak and her heart skip a beat. Her face burned up and no words would leave her mouth in fear that all that would come out would be blubber.

"You're in a band, huh?" Negi asked when his eyes fell upon the guitar case that was still against him. He helped her get her feet back on the ground and waved them all good-bye. "That's great! I'll be sure to come bye, okay?" And with those words he walked away. Akira looked to Ako with a questioning look and cried out excitedly.

"That guy! That really cute guy! Who is he?!"

"I-I don't know." Ako replied faintly, her hand still at her cheek.

"Don't lie! He totally called you by your first name!"

"He looked familiar." Akira mused as she watched Negi walk away. The cheerleading squad walked out of the Starbooks with drinks in their hands and Misa saw Negi pass by. It was like her whole world was rocked at first sight.

"Hey!" Misa nudged Sakurako to get her attention, almost making her drop her drink in the process. "Get a load of him!" She whispered to her fiercely.

"Wh-what?" The startled girl asked uneasily before feasting her eyes on Negi as well. "Who...is that?" Sakurako asked dreamily.

"H-He's c-cute." stammered Madoka, in a similar daze. The cheerleaders kept their eyes on Negi until they felt a breeze pass behind them and saw Asuna running in Negi's direction for all she was worth. Seconds later they saw the red-head deliver a flying kick to the back of Negi's head and sent him flying. (Love Hina style)

"What's the big deal ditching me like that jerk?!"

**_------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Back at Asuna's dorm..._**

**_-----------------------------------------------------_**

"I-I'm telling you the truth Asuna-san!" Negi cried out, before shuffling to the side when he noticed how close Ku-Fei was sitting beside him. "She chased me out of the shrine. I think she's spying on me!"

"...So you're telling me that there are more wizards on campus now?" Asuna asked, massaging her temples. "How does this Takane girl know you in the first place? Why didn't you tell me anything about this until now?"

"I didn't think she was..." Negi paused when Ku-Fei appeared to be right beside him again. "Master Ku?"

"Yes disciple?" the Chinese girl asked as she nuzzled his arm.

"C-can you move over a little? It's getting sort of..." He trailed off when he realized that the other girls were sitting on the same couch him and Ku-Fei were on, making it impossible for her to move over. He opted for standing up much to the girl's disappointment and opened the jar on the table beside Chamo and Chachazero.

"Which one of these reverses the effect Chamo-kun?" He asked desperately.

"The blue ones aniki." Chamo answered. Negi nodded and popped a blue one in his mouth, reverting back to his young self in a puff of smoke. "Mmmm, cotton candy flavors." The young magi said with a grin. Kazumi, Ku-Fei, Konoka and Kaede all whined at the disappearance of his older persona and crossed their arms with pouts on their faces. Makie was out practicing her dance routine for the festival and the Library pair headed back to do their shift.

"Anyway, as I was saying before, I didn't think she would be watching my every move." Negi walked over to Asuna unsteadily due to the large clothes that were practically falling off of him. "I don't know what to do next time I see Takane. She might've already figured out that it was me she was chasing."

"She can't do anything unless she has proof." Setsuna assured him. "As long as she doesn't get a confession out of you or find these aging pills you're in the clear." Setsuna leaned against the door frame with a nod and went on, "Don't worry. I'm sure the headmaster wouldn't be mad about you going out there looking like an adult as long as you don't do anything wrong."

"But...just for a second...could you grow up again?!" Konoka squealed cutely. "You looked sooooo cute!"

"I don't want to waste these!" Negi declined. "Chamo spent most of my savings on this!" He turned an annoyed glare on the ermine. "Right?"

"W-well. These weren't exactly cheap." Was Chamo's lame excuse.

"Eva-san might be getting impatient master. We should head home." Chachazero suggested.

Negi knew that this might be true. Especially when he basically ran out on her during their breakfast together...which might not have been enjoyable regardless since they were having such an awkward conversation. The best thing to do now would be to take the jar of pastilles back to Eva's with him. There would be no suspicion if he kept them in the residence of an all-powerful vampire as opposed to a student's dormitory. Negi looked to the girls who were watching him intently and decided that it would be best to take his leave, but not before getting his normal clothes from the bathroom. When he was done getting dressed he stashed the clothes that the girls bought him in a bag and stuffed the jar inside as well.

"I'll be going now." Negi announced, perching Chachazero on his head. He turned to Asuna and felt terrible that he wasn't able to help her enough to get her confident for Takamichi. "Um, Asuna-san."

"What is it Negi-bozu?" Asuna asked him with a hint of anger in her voice.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't much of any help."

"...I guess it wasn't really your fault anyway." The red head retorted with a sigh. "Take care."

"But before I go...I just want to say that I think you already have the confidence to face Takamichi. You don't need any practice dates because you already have it in you." Negi patted her hand with a smile. "Besides, how can Takamichi possibly say no to someone like you?" Asuna blushed at his words, but she turned away so he wouldn't see it.

"J-just go already!"

"A-alright!" Negi headed to the door and left the dorm room without another word.

"Negi is quite the charmer, huh?" Konoka teased Asuna.

"Whatever..."

* * *

**_Evangeline's Residence..._**

Unrequited love was the last chapter of Evangeline's life just before she was imprisoned on the grounds of Mahora campus. It was perhaps the only thing that usually filled the chibi-vampires thoughts other than her evil schemes and for her to see a ghost of her past appear before her, even for a few seconds was enough to bring her down. Nagi was the only person in Evangeline's life that was able to make her feel unsure of her actions and thoughts. He could turn her world upside down if he wanted to and just as easily set her back on her feet. At least that is how she thought of him. No moment in her life ever felt so welcoming and sweet as the moments she spent with Nagi Springfield.

"Why did you go on and leave me here you damn fool." Evangeline questioned the air darkly as she whirled the wine in her glass. She would have given the world for him to be by her side and all he did was spurn her love simply because he didn't want anyone to hold him down...or at least that was his excuse for always avoiding her. At the beginning when he saved her from falling to her death she believed that it was a simple crush that she developed but in time she grew to love his personality and who he was. He was carefree and able to face his problems on his own two feet without making decisions he would regret. But most of all she loved him for his ability to accept anything regardless of how tainted or meager it was.

"How ironic that it would be your son of all people to become my homeroom teacher. Oh no, but the irony doesn't end there." Evangeline took a long drink from her glass and sighed. "How ironic that it would be your own son who could make me feel this way again. I haven't felt so excited all my life as the day he wanted to become my disciple. For him to become something that I can call my own."

There was a ripple in the dimension and Chachamaru stepped in to the resort with Negi beside her. She lead Negi to Evangeline, who was sitting on the sand near the shore in her adult form and announced, "Negi-kun has arrived mistress." Negi felt a doom feeling when Evangeline simply took a sip of her wine and dismissed Chachamaru with a few flicks of her wrist.

"Shall I get you something to drink Negi-kun?" Chachamaru offered Negi before she left him alone with the vampiress.

"I'm fine. Thanks Chachamaru."

"Y-you are welcome." With that, Chachamaru dismissed herself with a bow. Negi stood where Chachamaru left him, regarding his master silently. There was something about the way she behaved in her older form that made her seem like a tragic character. In her normal form she was mischievous, blunt, and down right evil but something about her now didn't express those qualities...as much. Right now she looked calm and somewhat inviting yet at the same time a bit melancholy.

"So, are you going to just stare at me all day?" Evangeline asked him, still keeping her gaze on the body of water before her. "Sit with me."

"Yes master." Negi obeyed and sat down beside her on the sand. He tried not to take notice of the fact that the only thing she really had on was her underwear and her cloak. Evangeline wasn't really the type to mind wearing so little. She'd been living in this world far too long to worry about trivial little things such as nudity, however, she still did have her pride and dignity.

"Something funny happened to me today." Evangeline started off, her voice lacking her usual spark of mischief.

"What?" Negi inquired.

"I could've sworn that I saw your father." Evangeline set down her empty wine glass on the sand and chuckled. "I was just walking through the festival area with Chachamaru and before I know it he's standing before me. Do you know what I did Negi?" She asked him as she finally turned her head to regard him.

"W-what did yo do?" This was the first time she spoke his name in such a friendly fashion and it kind of unsettled him, however, that wasn't the only reason he was feeling a little fidgety. He also realized that she was talking about him from earlier. Should he tell her the truth? What would she do to him if she found out he was running around campus looking like his father? He was having some trouble deciding whether it would be a good idea or not to tell her anything regarding the practice date and the aging pills, but the way she was looking at him right now with such dull eyes made him feel a little down himself.

"I did nothing." Evangeline replied simply. "He was standing there and I just felt my legs go weak. I was petrified on the spot. I made no movement, no action; even my mind came to a sudden halt for a moment." Evangeline's eyes started to lose their life again and she bowed her head slightly. "I don't understand why. I wonder what would have happened if I attempted to reach him at all. Would he have awaited me or would he have ran away again? Something tells me that I wasn't staring at some illusion." Evangeline leaned over to Negi and asked, "So do you think I'm weak Negi? I want you to be honest with me."

"Of course not!" Negi answered.

Evangeline finally smirked. "What would you have done?"

"If what?"

"If you were in my situation. Would you have gone to him?"

"I'd like to say that I would but I wouldn't be sure unless I was there." Negi replied hesitantly. "I mean...I haven't seen him in so long. Sometimes I wonder if he's even still alive."

"So you think it was just a figment of my imagination?" The vampiress asked, leaning a little closer to Negi much to her disciple's rising discomfort. She only came so close for two things and that was to bite him for a drink or to mess with him. Inwardly he preferred the latter because the first one always left him a little tired depending on where she was sucking the blood from. A bite from her to the neck made him feel a sensation he couldn't describe but he felt a complete loss of energy after she was done while a bite to the arm or his fingers felt ticklish and tingly. Now if he weren't so preoccupied about thinking how he would prepare himself for what would happen next he would have answered her question.

"Are you listening?" Evangeline asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Um, yeah. I'm listening."

"Then answer my question."

"Well...you see." Negi swallowed hard and fidgeted with his fingers. "It wasn't a figment of your imagination. What you saw was real." The look on his master's face was simply priceless. Evangeline had a look of utter confusion plastered on her lovely features from hearing what Negi had told her. He wasn't even there with her when she saw Nagi and yet he has the audacity to say that what she saw was not an illusion so confidently? It was funny; no it was just ridiculous and yet at the same time she wished his words rang true.

"That's a response I wasn't expecting to hear at all." Evangeline said with a grin. "I'm wondering if I need another drink just to help me digest those odd words that just came out of your mouth. How could you possibly tell me that he was real so seriously when you weren't even around?"

"...Actually I was."

Evangeline blinked...

"You were? Where?!" Evangeline got on all fours and crawled to him until she was practically hovering over him. Negi fought to keep his eyes from wandering over her breasts, which were almost touching his face and laid back on the sand with no escape. "Yeah, that's right. I forgot to inquire about where you went earlier this morning didn't I?"

"W-well...you see..." Negi's voice was a mere squeak. So low to the point that Evangeline had to turn her head to the side and lean down even lower before saying, "Speak up! I can't hear you if you're speaking at the level of a mere mouse."

"I was at Asuna's dorm to see her." Negi replied a little louder.

"You went to see her, huh?" Evangeline's eyes narrowed and she faced him again. "So you're telling me that you ditched me on our breakfast to see her? Quite the gentlemen you are Mr. Springfield! I'm not sure whether to be disappointed or simply a little hurt to hear this."

"Yo-you're not letting me finish! It was a little emergency!"

"An emergency? Just what was this little 'emergency', hmm?" Evangeline started to scowl. "Was the girl in danger? Was she failing a class and you were there to tutor her? I can understand if those girls told you that she was being rushed to the hospital and you just wanted to be there for the blood."

"No, no! She was having some trouble doing something."

"Be specific with this "something" as you see fit to call it."

"She wanted to go on a date with Takamichi so-" Evangeline started to sweat drop when she heard him say that. At the moment she wasn't sure where he was going with this but it was starting to sound like it wasn't holding any water. What was he doing, playing matchmaker?! Was he sending messages between the two or something?

"...Er...go on." Evangeline lead him on.

"Asuna wanted to go on a date with Takamichi so Chamo-kun, "Negi saw the vampiress's eye twitch when he mentioned the ermine's name, "figured that it would be a great idea if I took her out on a practice date to boost her confidence!"

"Dating a boy who is four years younger that you doesn't boost your confidence boya." Evangeline said skeptically. "Unfortunately for you, your story holds no water at all. Do I appear to be a fool?"

"I'm not finished!"

"Go on if you really believe that it's necessary." Evangeline sighed, rolling her eyes.

"So I said, no way! I didn't think it would boost her confidence to date me either but he suddenly brought out this jar filled with aging pastilles."

Evangeline quirked an eyebrow...

"And he made me eat one. It turned me in to an older teenager! I mean, I was taller, stronger and my voice was much deeper too! It was like I actually skipped a few years in a mere two minutes!" Negi started to get consumed in his own explanation. Evangeline on the other hand was starting to feel that there was some truth to this story, keeping in mind that he mentioned some aging pills. "So after Kaede, and Makie are done getting me some clothes they send me out on a date with Asuna-san."

"You became a young man?" Evangeline's mind seemed to stay focused on that one bit of information.

"Er..yeah." Negi saw a strange twinkle in her eyes and he was starting to feel even more discomfort from practically being pinned to the ground by her. "So, uh, while I was dating Asuna we headed over to...a, er...shrine..." Negi wasn't sure if she was really listening to him anymore but he went on regardless. "...And Asuna said she needed to use the bathroom so I waited for her to come back. While I was waiting, this other mage named Takane Goodman caught up with me somehow."

"And what happened?"

"I think she kind of figured it was me so I distracted her and ran away. She tried to catch me but I reached the ledge of the shrine and I jumped back down to the campus festival grounds." He stopped when a look of realization washed over Evangeline's face and she licked her lips.

"So that was you? That "Nagi" was you?!"

"Y-yeah!"

"And you were planning on telling me...when?"

"...Um..."

"Just how long would you have waited if I didn't call you to have this conversation, hmm?"

"I-I don't really...know."

"So I seriously just poured out my heart to you..." Evangeline placed a hand on his forehead and started jamming his head in to the sand with a cruel smirk. "...and you just sat there. You waited until I was at the peak of my momentary state of depression to reveal that you were the root of it all?!"

"I...am so...sorry." Negi apologized, wrapped both his hands around her wrist in an attempt to pull her hand off his forehead. He was sure that it was going to take a long time to get the sand out of his hair after she was done with him. He opened one eye when she suddenly stopped grinding his head in to the sand and saw a thoughtful expression on her face. She released his forehead and grinned at him mischievously.

"So tell me...do you still have those aging pills?"

"I brought them home with me." Negi didn't know how much he lifted Evangeline's spirits to hear that he called her house his home so casually.

"Why don't you pop one in to your mouth and show me how you look?"

"Are you serious?"

"I am." Evangeline stood up, placing her hands on her hips and looked down at him. "You owe me for ditching me earlier. I have the perfect idea on how you're going to make up for your rudeness."

"...How?"

**_Evangeline's solution..._**

Evangeline removed her bra and laid down on a towel while Negi opened the bottle of lotion he had in his hand. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was inwardly wondering why she didn't make him do a few hundred laps around the resort with some weights strapped to his legs. Instead the vampiress had him transform in to his older persona, wearing just his pants which meant he was bare chested, and lotion her body...wait a second, he didn't really register that part properly.

"Um...master?" Negi called to Evangeline in his new deep voice.

"Call me 'Mistress Eva'." The vampiress corrected him.

"...Okay. Um, Mistress Eva?"

"Yes Negi?"

"You just want me to do your back right?" He asked hopefully.

"Not just my back. I want you to do my legs, my feet, my arms, and my stomach." Evangeline turned her head to look at him with an evil smirk and asked, "Is that going to be hard for you?"

"N-n-no." Negi stammered.

"I also want you to massage me while you're at it."

"...Okay."

"Go easy on me...it's my first time." Evangeline teased.

"S-seriously?!"

"That's right." Evangeline replied. "It's not like anyone would want to touch a blood sucking vampire."

"...I can't believe it. I mean...you've been alive for a long time right?!"

"Yeah..."

"And no one has given you a massage?"

"No."

"Have you ever heard of a massage parlor?"

"What part don't you understand about me never getting a massage?!"

"Well...I've never gotten on either." Negi said out of the blue.

Silence...

"Are you serious?" Evangeline questioned in disbelief.

"W-well, yeah. It's not like I have Chachamaru around! Why don't you ever ask her?"

"She's a robot designed mainly for combat. The last thing I need is for her to activate one of her weapons by mistake and slice me in half."

"...Oh." was Negi's only response. He never really thought of it like that, but he wouldn't think of Chachamaru ever making such a mistake. She was a android of precision and limitless intelligence right? Hakase created her for crying out loud! Naturally Negi did nothing while all of this went through his mind so the vampiress started to grow impatient with the way he was neglecting her body.

"Hey-loh?!"

"I-I'm sorry Mas-"

"Mistress Eva."

"Mistress Eva!" Negi got down on his knees and proceeded to run his moist hand down her back. He could feel her shivering from the tingling sensation of his hands running through her skin. It was at the moment that Negi realized how different this was from scrubbing her back. She was actually allowing him to touch her. If only Asuna knew what Evangeline was having him do; she'd probably try to launch the chibi...well not so chibi at this moment, however, Asuna would still try to launch her in to orbit just the same.

"That feels nice..." Evangeline purred, causing Negi's entire body to go crimson. She felt him waver a little in his services and moaned, "Don't stop now!"

"Y-yes Mistress Eva!" Waterfalls were threatening to flow from Negi's eyes. There was something so wrong about all of this but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it the way she regarded him when she saw him in his adult form or was it simply the level of excitement she was suddenly filled with at the thought of this 'punishment'? Maybe it was just him but at this point his mind was completely jumbled up with foreign emotions that perplexed him to no end. He could really tell that the vampiress was genuinely enjoying this from the way she shivered in pleasure and her light moans. He was tempted to snatch his hands away from her skin and faint.

Evangeline was in pure blissful heaven at the moment. She trembled with pleasure at Negi's very touch. His hands were so large and soft which was something she felt she'd never find in one package and yet here she had it in the form of her own disciple. Now if only he wasn't so hesitant about his activities. She knew he wasn't putting all of his effort in to because he had never touched her in such a way and naturally he would hold back in caution. She found it rather amusing in a way but at the same time her mind was formulating other ways to make use of Negi's new body...that wouldn't be too inappropriate mind you...at least not until much later when he was old enough.

_Wait a second...what am I thinking? I doubt the boya would stay with me long enough to see him grow up. He'll eventually leave the campus when he's old enough... _Evangeline found herself slightly disturbed at the thought of Negi leaving Mahora for good, but it was going to happen sooner or later since Negi was on his way to becoming a full fledged combat mage. He would want to travel all around the world much like his father did and recruit friends and companions. She didn't really think about it before but Negi could very well live to be just as much a hero as his father was. He would be defending towns and even cities from evil wizards just like her. People would hire him to take care of wyverns and other magical beast in the magic world and while all of this happened, where would she be?

"I might stay here for..." Evangeline stopped in mid-sentence and looked up at Negi. She was so lost in her thoughts that when she felt his hands on her again she almost jumped from the sudden sensation. Negi wouldn't leave her on campus while he did all his traveling would he? He wouldn't be so heartless as to leave her behind after all they've been through together, right? They had their up and downs but she was sure he thought of her as a friend and a master as well. "Hey boya?" She called to him.

"Yes Mistress Eva?"

"Do you remember your promise to me, the night of our duel on the bridge?"

"You mean when I saved you from falling in to the river?" Negi made sure to add that little detail, missing the scarlet hue that appeared briefly on her cheeks.

"Yeah...would you say it to me again?"

"S-sure...if you want. I promise that when I become a full fledged mage that I'll break the curse on you." Negi recited. He was confused when the vampiress broke out in to laughter. He didn't think that it was funny. Did she doubt him? "What's wrong, Mistress Eva?"

"Nothing, nothing." Evangeline assured him. "It's just good to hear those words." She felt his hand move down to her lower back. "Hey, you missed a spot on my upper back boya!"

"Wh-what? I passed my hands over your entire upper back like twice already!"

"Are you talking back to your mistress?" Evangeline asked with an edge in her voice.

"N-no Mistress Eva!"

"Then get to it!"

* * *

Chachamaru looked in the fridge and cocked her head to the side when she found that there was nothing to cook for dinner, nor was there anything to cook for breakfast. It seemed that since there were two consumers in the house now that the food supply was being depleted at a faster rate which was quite natural since a growing vampire was one of those consumers. Chachamaru figured that she could go about this a few ways. She could have Evangeline and Negi just join her for breakfast and Satsuki's tomorrow or she could head over to the Mahora market and buy some groceries, with Negi of course. That would give her more than enough time to enjoy his company. All she had to do was say something along the lines of, "I am going to the market now. Do you require anything Negi-kun?", and he would reply, "How about I go with you?" 

"Yes. I believe that is exactly what will happen." Chachamaru said to herself with a nod. Now if only she could find a way to part Chachazero from him. The puppet had already developed a strong attachment to the young magi. This was natural for the sadistic puppet since her last master was a female and switching over to a male master would intrigue her. Sometimes Chachamaru wondered how life would be if Negi were her master...ahem...

Chachamaru slowly went to the door of the kitchen and poked her head out to find Negi sitting at the couch in his normal state again with Chachazero bouncing in his lap like a giddy little child. She wasn't sure what the puppet told Negi but it caused him to laugh and that didn't sit well with the android much at all. If there were any chance she had to have Negi accompany her it would be now. Evangeline just might decide to come out of her room at any minute and force Negi to amuse her again. That would get in the way of her plans.

"I am going to the market now. Do you require anything Negi-kun?" Chachamaru asked.

"Well...how about I go with you?" Negi offered. Chachamaru inwardly pumped her fist in the air at his response at her cleverness. That went almost as precise as she expected. She sensed a little hesitance in his voice but that didn't seem to effect his decision much. Chachamaru, however, forgot to count on one thing happening and that was for a certain puppet to say-

"Can I come with you master Negi?!"

And for Negi to reply-

"Of course Chachazero." Negi perched her on his head as usual and gave Chachamaru a thumbs up to inform her that he was ready to roll. The android paused for a moment to gather this data so she would find a way around the "Chachazero factor" next time she would have Negi accompany her with something. From the way her tactical systems responded from the received data it looked like she was going to have some trouble with this one.

**_-------------------------------------------------_**

**_At Mahora Campus market..._**

**_------------------------------------------------_**

Mei stole another glance at Takane who had her head slightly hung and deduced that the blonde magistress failed at yet another attempt to get information out of Negi Springfield. Ever since the first spoke with Takamichi about the young magi, Takane had been all over him like bees to honey. Sometimes she wondered if Takane was really doing this to make Gandolfini proud or to satisfy her own guilty pleasures. Maybe she got a really kick out of forcing herself in to unnecessary missions. Honestly she really didn't care. Right now the only thing that was on her mind was buying some food that they could take to their dorm to eat.

"Hey onesan?" Mei called to her distant superior.

No response...

"Hello? Takane-san?"

"What?!" Takane suddenly cried out, causing Mei to flinch in fright. Takane realized what she had done and recomposed herself before asking calmly, "What is it Mei?"

"Aren't you going to pick anything to eat?"

"Just get me some instant stuff. I don't really mind." Was Takane's answer before she went on autopilot again with the shopping cart. Unlike Mei, food was not the one thing on her mind right now. At the moment her mind was formulating little scenarios that she could follow the next time she crossed paths with her clever equal, Negi. Well, at least she thought of him as her equal to be able to outsmart her every time she tried to have him in her clutches. Takane wasn't naive, not at all. She was perhaps the only one, besides the girls who saw Negi transform, who knew the true nature of the "Nagi" double. She was very much aware that she was facing Negi up at the shrine earlier in the afternoon.

"How was he able to get his hands on such magic?" Mei heard Takane question softly.

"What onesan?"

"W-what?!" Takane cried out when Mei pulled her out of her stupor again.

"S-stop doing that!"

"I'm thinking her Mei. Do you mind?"

"I'm sorry, but do you have to be so loud?"

Negi walked beside Chachamaru while she pushed the cart around and looked around just to make sure nobody was spying on him. Ever since that Takane girls showed up around campus, Negi had been a little more careful about where he went. This was especially true when he was aware that people like the blonde magistress were now around monitoring his every move just to catch him whenever he did something considered wrong. She could pop up anywhere and this was the main reason he was a little hesitant about going out at this time. He stopped walking when he realized that Chachamaru stopped beside the condiment rack to stock up on some things.

"Do you need any help Chachamaru?" Negi asked.

"Could you reach the salt on the bottom rack Negi-kun?" Chachamaru asked, pointing to the bottom. She could reach it herself but she knew that Negi wanted to help her out so she wasn't going to deprive him of such satisfaction. Negi nodded and grabbed the salt for her before handing it over. "Would you like anything in particular Negi-kun? The price doesn't really matter to me."

"Um, no. I'm fine Chachamaru."

"I insist Negi-kun? Do you eat cereal?"

"Sometimes."

"Miso soup?"

"Y-yeah."

"Then please get whatever you wish." Chachamaru told him with a slight bow of her head. She figured that this would be the best way to understand Negi's tastes. When she collected all the data she required she would be able to buy him whatever he liked whenever he ran out of it. This way she could surprise him on days when he least expected to eat his favorite dish. Maybe she could even make him bento boxes for school whenever he was hungry for lunch after a long morning of teaching. To say that Chachamaru was on a roll would be a complete understatement. She knew she had competition amongst the girls in her class and she wasn't planning on failing to win Negi's attention. Chachazero on the other hand was able to do such a thing without even trying and this only served to annoy the android.

"Let's go get some noodle master Negi. It is your favorite right?" Chachazero asked Negi.

"That's right!" Negi replied cheerfully.

"Then onwards!" Chachamaru pulled out her blade and used it as a charging signaler. Negi nodded and went on, leaving Chachamaru behind and turned at the corner to come face to face with Mei and Takane. For this to happen ever so often was beginning to work on Negi's nerves. It never failed! All he had to do was turn a corner and Takane would fins some way to be there waiting for him. Chachazero narrowed her eyes at the pair and fought the urge to launch her at the blonde magistress. She didn't like Takane at all.

Takane saw Negi freeze in place when their eyes met and a devious smile crossed her lips. What were the odds of her crossing paths with him again? It was as though fate was guiding her to meet Negi whenever she least expected it. "What a pleasure to see you again Negi-sensei. How have you been?"

"Fine." Negi replied. He figured that if he used short responses that the conversation would end just as shortly. "And yourself?"

"I'm doing quite fine. Thank you." Takane remembered that Mei and Negi had never formally met and introduced her. "Negi, meet my underling, Mei. She's sort of like my little sister in training."

"Good evening, Negi-sensei."

"Good evening to you Mei-san." Negi greeted her back. "This is my partner Chachazero." Negi motioned to his familiar.

"Charmed." Chachazero said coldly.

"Let's tone down on the sort of stuff, huh? " Takane said quietly. "we don't want to expose our true nature to the students right?"

"I guess you're right." Negi said with a nod.

"Negi-kun?" Chachamaru called to him as she strolled beside him with the shopping cart. "Who are you speaking to?"

"Ahh. She was with you when we first bumped in to each other wasn't she?" Takane observed with a grin.

"That is correct. I remember you as well." Chachamaru replied in Negi's place. "You are a mage, correct?"

"So you know about the wizarding world as well?"

"I am partly a production of the magic world." Chachamaru replied, catching Takane off guard.

"A production you say?" Takane asked hesitantly.

"I am an android." Chachamaru replied.

"Everybody who know her can tell." Negi added, making Takane feel even worse for not noticing. This was a really weird campus for them to be allowing androids to study as well.

"So are you Negi-sensei's guardian?"

"I am his friend." Chachamaru answered.

"His friend?"

"That's what she said. Can't you hear anything we're telling you?" Chachazero asked bluntly.

_That little puppet is much more aware than I figured it would be. _Takane thought darkly before turning her attention away from Chachazero. If she was going to get Negi to take her in as a friend then she was going to have to get him alone. That way she'll be able to gain his trust and extract information from him in the process. It would all go so smoothly!

"You know Negi, I believe we haven't had much time to talk with each other. You know, get to know each other." Takane began with a welcoming smile. "Are you going to be busy tomorrow?"

"Well...I don't know." Negi replied hesitantly. Something about the way Takane was speaking to him was getting him a little suspicious. "I might be."

_He senses that something is amiss...I'm really starting to develop an interest in Mr. Negi here. _Takane thought to herself. "Well, if you're not then why don't you join me for lunch tomorrow. It'll be my treat, huh?"

"Where at?"

"There's this mobile food stand tha-"

"You mean Chao's restaurant?" Negi clarified for her.

"I-I think so." Takane replied, not expecting to be cut off like that.

"...I'll see if I can make it."

"Very well then!" Takane exclaimed as she clasped both of her hands together. "I hope to see you there at around one o' clock. I'll be waiting for you there so please don't leave me there alone."

"I wouldn't think of it." Negi assured her with a grin, causing the girl to blush. His vampiric charms was working it's magic on Takane and he didn't even realize it.

"We should hurry Negi-kun. The mistress might be hungry by now."

"Alright." Negi complied before turning back to Takane and Mei. "It was nice to meet you Mei-san."

"L-likewise Negi-sensei." Mei replied shyly with a blush of her own.

"Take care Takane-san."

"I will see you tomorrow Negi-sensei." Takane watched as Negi and Chachamaru walked away and fidgeted with her hands nervously. "Maybe I should've asked him to come as a man."

**_To be continued..._**

_And the plot thicken...sort of. I hope you enjoyed!_

_To MakoEyes 13:_ I'm not sure if this helps on Evangeline's character, but I just try to make her as cruel as possible while incorporating a little mischief. I can't make her pure evil or I'll ruin her entire personality; She has her soft side for Negi as you can see in the Manga...anyway, I hoped that helped!


	13. Engagements and Business

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Thirteen: Negi on Demand_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

It was a wonderful morning outside as a new day began for the lives of Mahora Campus. The female students were outside in their squads, running to keep themselves fit for the festival attractions they were going to be performing. The flight club members were finishing up and testing their plane models to fly safely during the festival and the tech and science club members were checking on their contraptions and other machines to make sure they wouldn't malfunction. Needless to say, the campus was already lively so early in the morning and it would get even crazier when the long awaited mages would arrive to enforce Magi law during the festival. 

Evangeline dreamt in bed as she tossed and turned at the mercy of her own dreams and nightmares. Every now and then she could be heard breathing heavily and calling out the names that haunted her mind. Negi on the other hand slept peacefully, clutching Chachazero to his chest. He may have been a vampire but he still didn't favor sleeping alone. Without Asuna around to serve as his source of warmth and security he turned to his faithful familiar. Chachamaru was already awake, cooking the breakfast downstairs in her blue tea ceremony kimono, which was something unusual in itself since her normal attire was her maid uniform. She finished cooking some of the food and dropped it on to a plate so it would burn before turning to the kitchen counter where a sealed invitation laid still.

Chachamaru grabbed the envelope and regarded it silently, turning her head to the kitchen door when her doubtful thoughts were pushed aside. She planned to give the invitation to Negi so that he would attend her Formal Open-air Tea Ceremony during the festival. Inwardly her gears were winding fast at how nervous she felt. The android took one last look at the invitation and left the kitchen to go upstairs. She walked lightly so she wouldn't awaken Evangeline since Negi's room was right beside her own and slowly opened the young magi's door. She poked her head in to check if he was awake and stepped in quietly when she saw him still asleep.

"...Chachazero..." Chachamaru whispered darkly when she saw the puppet clutched in Negi's arms. She closed the door behind her slowly and approached Negi's futon until she was standing beside his resting form. Utilizing her built in camera, she took a picture of Negi sleeping and transferred it in to her "Favorites" folder with a satisfied nod. This had to be one of the cutest pictures she had taken so far. Now all she had to do was photo shop Chachazero out of the picture and it would be perfect!

"Negi-kun." Chachamaru called to him softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder to nudge him. He groaned softly and stayed asleep but Chachazero's eyes snapped open and the puppet stared at Chachamaru silently. Both of them stared at each other for a while since they both didn't feel the need to blink until Chachazero finally asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I am here to awaken Negi-kun." Chachamaru replied.

"Master has assigned the job to me alone."

"Consider this a day off." Chachamaru retorted, narrowing her eyes. The android never felt such malice feeling towards anyone before but the day Chachazero started to become Negi's familiar she labeled the sadistic puppet as a threat towards her growing interest in him. She proceeded to nudge Negi again but Chachazero managed to slip out of his arms and smacked her offending hand. Chachamaru snatched her hand away quickly from the sudden attack and prepared to send the puppet flying in to the wall across from them.

"Bust a move." Chachazero taunted her counterpart.

"As you wish." Chachamaru said coldly, however, she allowed her hand to drop at her side quickly when Negi stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes to see what was causing the noise. He blinked a few times when his eyes locked on Chachamaru and rubbed his eyes.

"Chachamaru? What's wrong?" Negi asked her, curious to see her hovering over him. He turned away from her when he felt some pressure on his stomach and patted Chachazero's head when he realized she was the cause of it. "Good morning Chachazero."

"Good morning to you master Negi!" Chachazero greeted back.

"Good morning Negi-kun. I came here to wake you up for breakfast." Chachamaru peeled away the covers, trapping Chachzaro under them in the process and helped Negi get to his feet.

"Thanks Chachamaru." He thanked her drowsily. He padded over to the door to open it but he came to a halt when Chachamaru suddenly called his name after some hesitation. He turned to face her and asked, "Yes Chachamaru?"

"I am sorry to stall you so early in the morning Negi-kun but I wish to ask you of something." Negi cocked his head to the side when he observed how unusually fidgety the android was. She seemed to be really nervous for some reason.

"What's up?"

"I am holding an open air tea ceremony...for the festival...and..." Chachamaru held out the invitation in her hand timidly as she went on. "...I was hoping that you would attend. Th-that is if it does not get in the way of your schedule of course." There was a moment of silence as Negi took some time to allow everything she said to register before a smile broke out on to his face. The android felt the gears in her chest start to generate at a quicker pace and the heat building up under the metal plate for her face caused two red hues to appear on her cheeks.

"I-I've never been to a formal tea ceremony before." Negi said with a lift in his voice. "I'd be honored to attend Chachamaru!" He accepted the invitation that Chachamaru was still holding out to him and bowed. "Thank you."

"N-no. I believe those are my words Negi-kun." Chachamaru replied with a bow of her own. Their exchange of words caused poor Chachazero to recoil under the covers as though some invisible struck her. After a while the two stopped staring at each other and Chachamaru reluctantly made her way to the door of Negi's room.

"I will meet you down stairs with your breakfast ready."

"Thank you Chachamaru. I'll just get washed up then." Negi replied. When the android left his eyes lingered on the invitation in his hand and he set it down on the dresser before heading out of the room as well. Had he been actually paying attention he would have heard Chachazero's dejected call for him.

_"Master Negi? Are you there?"_

Negi rinsed his hair as the hot water hit his entire body and he reached for the soap and the scrubber that was waiting for him at the other side of the bathroom chamber. He found it a little inconvenient for the showering supplies to be so far away from the shower head itself but he didn't dare make a complaint. Inwardly he was a little nervous because he knew that the sliding glass door for the shower chamber would open at any moment and Evangeline would step in to order him about. She would have him scrub her back and shampoo her flowing golden hair. Ever since his first encounter with her in the shower chamber, that's how it had been and she loved every minute of it.

Nothing pleased the tiny vampire more than someone who was willing to touch her without flinching or shivering in terror. Sure, she may have been quite evil and intimidating but that didn't mean that she had no desire to be comforted or touched in any way. Being that Negi was no different from her and was quite used to her attitude it was easy for him to cope with the closeness they had unnoticeably started to share. The tiny vampire, however, did not interrupt today's shower, this time and that made the young magi raise an eyebrow in confusion. Evangeline had not even come in to greet him or tease him for using her bathroom without telling her. Was she still a little miffed about his quick escape from breakfast yesterday? She couldn't be right? He made up for his rudeness with the massage didn't he?

_It's still way too early to be thinking so much. _Negi thought to himself with a gentle shake of his head. He was still recovering from his last encounter with the housemaid who seemed to be behaving a little more differently than usual._ I need to gather my thoughts for my engagement with Takane later. I've got the feeling that there's a little more to this invitation than she lets up._

Negi shut off the water when he was done rinsing off the soap and shampoo from his body. When the water and soap swirled down the drain he sighed and reached for the door handle to open it and step out. He pulled his towel off the bar near the door and dried himself off after making sure that the room didn't have any extra occupants.

"I'm a little worried." Negi thought aloud as he wrapped the towel around his waist. His master wasn't even waiting for him beside the shower. Now he was really beginning to feel that there was something amiss. His worries were put to rest, however, when he stepped out of the bathroom and found Evangeline staring back at him from her seat at the end of her bed. She was still dressed in her doll like pajamas but the look on her face looked quite aware and fully awake which meant she was waiting for him.

Negi found himself staring back in to her eyes for a long pause and finally decided to shatter the air of tension that was beginning to form. "Good morning master."

"Good morning to you boya." Evangeline greeted back as she lay on her stomach, kicking her feet back and forth. "C'mere." She ordered him with a beckoning finger. Negi placed a hand on his chest with a puzzled look and asked, "Er...why?"

"Don't ask any questions boya. Just come here already." Evangeline started to grow impatient with the slow fashion that he approached her bed but she decided not to voice her feelings. The last thing she wanted to do at the moment was to strain herself.

"What would you like master?"

"You don't have any plans for the festival do you?"

"Well not much but ther-"

"Good." Evangeline cut him off as she pulled out a small invitation that she had tucked in her sleeve. "The "Go" club is going to be holding a tournament and I want you to be there to watch me." A mischievous smirk crossed her lips. "The disciple must always be there for his master, right?"

"R-right." Negi replied.

"Then don't go and disappoint me." said Evangeline as she handed him the invitation. Negi examined the small black envelope for a moment and Evangeline decided to tease him just a little bit. "Unless you intend to entice me I advise you head back to your room and get dressed." The chibi-vampire licked her lips. "I don't take idly to a tease."

"Y-yes m-master!" Negi stammered as he made his exit.

"Too easy."

Negi closed the door behind him and rested his back against it as he recomposed himself. These past few days have confirmed to that Evangeline's behavior toward him was definitely beginning to change. The way she looked at him; the way she talked to him and even the way she had started to train him was changing. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved that she was getting a little more playful or to be scared. "I-I don't have much time to think about this." Negi said softly, getting off the door and heading to his dresser to change. He'd never been on an actual outing with a girl before so he wasn't sure what to wear. What made him even more nervous was the fact that he didn't really know Takane Goodman all that well so he wasn't sure how she would behave around him.

"Hmm?" Negi saw something under his covers and uncovered it to see what it was. When he saw Chachazero sitting there with her legs drawn up to her chest he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. She didn't look as lively as she usually was. "Chacha-chan? How long have you been under my covers?"

Chachazero slowly turned her head to regard him and answered, "About half an hour I'd guess." Her voice lacked its mischievous charm.

"Are you okay?"

"...Does it matter?" The puppet retorted, confusing Negi.

"Well, of course it does!"

"Why?"

"Because I care about you and I want to know what's bothering you." Negi replied. Had Chachazero been capable of it she would have burned crimson with embarrassment. The puppet buried her head in her lap and said, "Stop being so mushy would ya'?"

"...Sorry about that."

"But you're the first to tell me that."

"Huh?"

"That you care about me."

"Well..." Negi massaged the back of his head as the conversation started to feel a little awkward for him. He'd never think that he'd have a conversation like this with Chachazero of all...puppets...ahem. He did think that she looked cute whenever she was embarrassed though.

"Don't leave me master."

"What do you mean?"

"Just don't leave me."

"O-ok." Negi submitted to her words. "...I should get dressed now." Negi went back to his dresser to get out some clothes and nearly slammed his head against the wooden surface. So early in the morning and he was already being forced to think.

**_--------------------------------------_**

**_The Dining Room..._**

**_--------------------------------------_**

Evangeline awaited Negi's arrival to the dining room patiently with her chin resting in one hand. Chachamaru walked in to the room with two plates in her hands and rested them on the table: One in front of the vampiress and the other where Negi was supposed to sit. When she was done with the food she headed back in to the kitchen to bring the drinks. Just as the android reached the doorway, Negi walked in and they bumped in to each other. Being that Chachamaru was taller than Negi, his face ended up in her chest, which was surprisingly warm.

"I'm sorry about that." Negi apologized quickly as Chachazero regained her grip on Negi's hair so she wouldn't fall off his head.

"The fault is my own, Negi-kun."

"No really, it's my fault."

"On the contrar-"

"Would you just come sit at the table already?" Evangeline interrupted Chachamaru as she glared at the young magi. She didn't really understand why the both of them were so desperate to shoulder the blame but it was only serving to irritate her. Both of them flinched at her words and were so quick to move that they both ended up bumping in to each other again, making Evangeline run her hand down her face with a sigh.

_I can understand Negi being a klutz but Chachamaru shouldn't be behaving like this so much. _The frown on her face lifted in to a smirk when Negi took his seat at her left and politely got himself ready to dine. There was an awkward silence as they both stared at each other for a while and Negi finally said, "Hi." Yes, the words that came out of his mouth held little tact but what could anyone expect when looking in to her eyes?

"I enjoyed your massage last night." Both of them raised an eyebrow when they heard a dull thud in the kitchen.

"Y-you did? I didn't think I did much of a good job to be honest." Negi said with a blush. He caught the look of suspicion that washed over the vampiress's face and quickly added, "Not that I wasn't trying! I only give you my best master!"

"Don't worry yourself boya." Evangeline assured him as she narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "I'm sure that you'll get better with practice."

Another dull thud from the kitchen...

"W-with p-practice? What ever do you mean?" Negi stammered.

"I mean that you'll be my personal massager." She saw his head hang from hearing that and leaned over to him with a threatening grin. "Doesn't that make you happy?"

"I can't hold in my joy." Negi answered in a strangled squeak as the terror threatened to make itself known. He regarded her questionably when she held out her hand and asked, "What seems to be the matter?"

"Time for my morning snack." She licked her lips hungrily.

"...Yes master." Negi allowed her to take his hand and she bit in to his middle finger before sucking on it with a satisfied moan. "Surprisingly this doesn't bother me as much anymore." He said off handedly despite his initial urge to pull away from the ticklish sensation that her suction was giving him. He sweat dropped when her eyes swiveled to regard him and her lips curled in to a small smile as she pulled away with a final slurp.

"It's a good thing that I'm the only female midian who know how incredibly sweet your blood tastes." Evangeline said with a chuckle before going on, "Because others would probably lose control and suck you to the last drop."

"...I'll take that as a compliment."

"So tell me...have you ever thought about tasting me?"

There was a deathly silence as Negi's mind shut down...

"I-It never crossed my mind!" Negi blurted out.

"You're no fun." Evangeline pouted. "Why not?"

"B-b-because I don't want to bite anyone!"

"But you love the taste of blood."

"T-that's different! I drink it from packs!"

"But having it straight from the flesh tastes so much better." Evangeline teased with a sigh of longing. "It adds a better taste." Her eyes regarded him intensely. "Believe me."

"Can we please stay off that subject?" Negi pleaded as his voice began to betray him with it's sudden hint of hunger. "W-what are you going to train me with today? Are we going to build up on my dark aura again?"

"Of course we are. Which reminds me."

"...Um, what?"

"You intend to participate in the tournament right?"

"Yeah."

"Have you signed up yet?"

"No."

"Today is the last day boya. They stop accepting at four o' clock."

"R-really?!" Negi was about to get up but he found that he couldn't move his legs too well. "W-what's going on here?" He turned to Evangeline. "M-master?"

"What's the rush Negi?" Evangeline asked as she slipped one of her hands over his. Negi felt shivers run up his arms when she stroked his hand with her thumb. "We have plenty of time before they close. It's only nine twenty-two so stay with me for breakfast, hmm?"

"Y-yes master."

"You can call me Eva from now on." The vampiress told him with a fanged grin. "I think we've gotten past a strict master-disciple relationship by now."

Negi swallowed hard as his mind fought his sudden urge to tremble. "Very well...Eva..."

"That's an improvement." Evangeline purred unaware of Chachamaru's on looking eyes. Chachazero found herself feeling a slight discomfort as well. Slowly but surely, Evangeline was starting to be a little nicer to the young magi and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Chances were the vampiress was truly beginning to see him as a worthy underling or maybe there might be more to her motives. Whatever it was, Chachazero was going to be sure to keep it from harming her master in any way.

* * *

Chachazero came to understand, however, that her power didn't match the might of the twins. Their energy seemed to be limitless and their power over Negi was in a word...overwhelming. 

"Come on Negi-sensei!" Fuka chirped excitedly as she pulled him forward by his left arm.

"Yeah! Everyone wants to see you in the classroom!" Fumika added as she did the same with his right arm.

"For a meeting!" Both twins said at the same time. Negi didn't even attempt to resist their youthful charms. It was impossible for him to say no to the twins when they were practically on the hunt for him every time he took his first step out on to the campus grounds. No place was safe for the two greatest members of the "Walking club". One moment he was just walking around to see if he could find Kotaro so they could both sign up for the tournament and the next thing he knew both twins had come from out of nowhere to apprehend him!

_Those two make quite a formidable force indeed. _Chachazero thought as both twins lead her master toward the school. When they were inside they had him go to the homeroom and he was greeted by all of the girls excitedly like children on Christmas day. He found it hard to close the distance between him and his desk as he sensed their eyes following his every movement and took a seat when he reached it. Now all he could do was wait and submit to whatever they asked of him. He didn't like to disappoint his students and it wasn't like he was really capable of saying no in the first place. They would find some way to make him join them regardless of the answer.

"Hey everybody!" He greeted them nervously. "So what did you girls want to talk about anyway?" Almost immediately after he asked, Ayaka rushed up to his desk before any of the other girls and cooed, "I'm so glad that you asked sensei! You see, there's going to be an event at the Equestrian Exhibition and I'd like for you to-UMPH!"

"Don't even try it!" The twins cried out as they both shoved the class president out of the way before setting their sights on Negi. "You have to come with us on our Academy Walking Tour!" They both clasped their hands to their chest and tried to reel him in with the fabled puppy eyes tactic and Negi probably would have complied too if Misa and Sakurako didn't squeeze themselves in front of the twins with tickets in their hand.

"We're doing a live concert during the festival!" Sakurako exclaimed with a wide grin.

"And we'd love for you to come, will you please?!" Misa added on cheerfully.

"Wait just a second!" Ku-Fei took the easiest path and simply combed her way next to Negi instead of fighting for the place in front of his desk. "Disciple is almost forgetting! You come Chinese Martial arts instead. Show toro to new club members!"

"Ku-feiiiiiiiiii!" The Chinese girl whipped around when she heard her name called and saw Makie just as the girl tackled her to the side of the desk. Ku-Fei laid there twitching, eliciting a gasp from Negi since he expected her to dodge it easily.

"You'll come to the rhythmic Gymnastics Exhibition, won't you Negi-kun?!" She asked him sweetly. Negi found himself cowering in his seat as the girls packed around his very seat and towered over him with their invitations. His desk shook when Ayaka and the twins started to brawl with each other and he felt a violent shiver run down his spine when Sayo materialized behind his chair and floated beside him causing the entire group of girls on his left side to retreat in surprise.

"G-good morning Negi-sensei..." The ghost maiden greeted him timidly as a ghostly blush washed over her face. He saw her twiddling her thumbs and smiled at how cute she looked. "I've been hoping to see the festival with you if you don't mind...that is...to say that...you know..."

"Of course I will Sayo-chan!" Negi accepted happily.

"I-I'm so happ-" She disappeared when the happiness overcame her and the young magi blinked in puzzlement.

"S-she didn't cross over did sh-whoa!" Negi yelped when someone grabbed his arm and pulled him off his chair. He found himself being practically dragged through the crowd of girls until he was out the classroom and he saw Yue shut the door quickly. The person who was clutching his arm released him and he realized that Haruna was his unexpected escort.

"Sorry bout' that Negi-kun!" The manga artist apologized with her usual cheer.

"Um, that's alright."

"We just want to ask you something!"

"Er...we?" Negi questioned before he saw Yue drag Nodoka from out the corner. The blue haired girl pushed the shy girl in front of him and they both locked eyes for a moment. A blush washed over Nodoka's face and she almost lost the strength in her knees.

"H-hey there Negi-sensei." The timid librarian greeted him.

"Hi, Nodoka-san." Negi greeted her back. "What was it that you wished to ask me?"

"Well...oh...that is..."

Haruna nudged her in the shoulder with a whisper that Negi couldn't quite hear...

"T-the Library club is having a...a..."

Nodoka saw Negi and Chachazero cock their heads to the side at the same time.

"...A Scavenger Hunt!" The timid girl finally blurted out before Haruna and Yue jumped in front of her with invitations of their own.

"Right, and the Manga club will be doing caricatures so.." She allowed her invitation to do the talking as she shoved it in to Negi's hands with Nodoka's envelope.

"We'll also be doing a group reading at the Philosopher's club." Yue added on with a light blush as she handed her invitation to him as well. When both girls were done with their part they nudged Nodoka once more and she tensed up before letting out a quick sigh. She bowed her head slightly, causing her hair to cover most of her face but immediately faced the young magi with a brilliant smile as she asked, " W-Would y-you maybe come...to the festival with me as well?"

"H-huh?!" Negi was completely caught off guard for a moment. "Y-you mean together?"

"OH MY GOSH!" The girl turned on her heel and made a run for it before any of them could even react. "I SAID IT!" Were the last words they heard from her before she disappeared around the corner.

"Can you believe that girl? She didn't even wait for an answer!" Haruna growled in frustration before setting her sights on Negi. "You will do it though, right?!"

"...Um, s-sure...b-but..."

"M-make it the last day if possible!" Yue informed him quickly. She followed Haruna as she went to follow Nodoka and Negi was left with Chachazero to his thoughts.

"It looks like I'm really going to have a busy week." Negi told his familiar with a weak chuckle. "I'm not sure how I'll make time for everyone though."

"I'm sure you'll find a way master Negi." Chachazero assured him. It was at that moment that they realized that some of the girls had their faces pressed against the classroom door window. They probably saw the whole things unfold from the very beginning.

"Somehow I don't think this place is so safe anymore." Negi whispered to Chachazero nervously.

"So, do we run too?"

"Yeah!" Negi took off running just as the classroom door opened and pumped his legs faster when he heard a stampede behind him. "This is worse than that love potion incident!" He saw the exit coming up and tapped in to his vampiric side to glide right above the ground to pick up a speed boost.

"Master is getting better at this!" Chachazero cheered.

"Thanks...but..."

"But?" Chachazero asked hesitantly.

"I still haven't gotten the brakes down yet." Negi finished with a grin.

"This is going to be fun."

"Whatever you say Chacha-" Negi wasn't able to finish as he slammed in to the door and found himself flying forward from the top stair step. There were some students walking by so he couldn't lighten his fall by taking off at the last minute. He opted for a straightforward crash to the ground that left his face stinging. "O-Ouch." Negi rubbed his nose as two tears threatened to slip down his face.

"That was really fun!" Chachazero cheered. "Next time we should do it from a higher place!"

"Y-you can't be serious..." Negi said in disbelief as he regarded the puppet with wide eyes.

"NEGI! HEY, NEGI!" Negi turned around slowly when he heard his name called and saw Kotaro running to him at full speed with a torn tournament advertisement in his hand. By the looks of it the young magi wasn't going to have to worry about getting to the sign up on time.

"Hey Kotaro-kun. What's up?" Negi asked as he rubbed his shoulder.

"The sign ups for the martial arts tournament is almost closed! WE GOTTA GO!" Kotaro cried out desperately. "There's no time to spare!" He grabbed ahold of his friend's arm and took off running but to Negi's confusion the boy suddenly slowed down and came to a stop.

"What's wrong Kotaro?"

"Well...ages 12 and down get stuck in the children's division so...it's going to be kind of a bore, ya know?"

"Master can remedy that right?!" Chachazero asked Negi excitedly.

"Chacha-chan? I'm not sure if it's a good idea."

"What? What isn't a good idea?!" Kotaro asked quickly. If there was a chance to send them both in to the adult's division then he wasn't going to pass it up. He grabbed Negi by the shoulder and leaned over so close that Negi could smell the breakfast he ate. "What is the doll talking about Negi?!"

"It's...just..." Negi wasn't sure if it was much of a good idea but Chachazero was practically bouncing on his head.

"Come on master Negi! The younger division is going to be soooooooo boring! Why not go for a real fighting tournament and enter the older division?!"

"But-"

"Please?!" Chachazero and Kotaro asked, resorting to the puppy eye tactic to force him in to submitting to their pleads.

Negi suddenly felt as though the great God above was teasing him for some cruel reason that he couldn't quite understand...

**_----------------------------------------_**

**_At the Sign up booth..._**

**_----------------------------------------_**

The young woman at the booth examined the slips that Negi and Kotaro handed to her before looking back at them. Her eyes observed them intensely as she tried to find out why she was getting the feeling that she was being tricked. Something about the man with the reddish hair made her feel rather weird but the wild one beside him gave off a childish vibe.

"Negi Springfield?" She said in a questioning tone that made Negi perk up.

"Y-yeah. That's my name." He replied with a smile that made the girl blush furiously. He eyes reluctantly swiveled away from Negi and regarded Kotaro who was beginning to feel the pressure of suspicion slowly breaking him down.

"And you're Kotaro? No last name?"

"Just Kotaro is fine."

"...Alright then. Welcome to the Mahora Budokai Tournament!"

"ALRIGHT!" Kotaro howled excitedly, making the girl raise an eyebrow. He caught the look on her face and recomposed himself before saying calmly, "I mean...cool." Negi saw that as their cue to disappear before his friend managed to arouse any more suspicion than they already had. He placed his hands on both of Kotaro's shoulders and pushed him to get him moving, all the while an assuring grin plastered on his face to get the girl to stop looking at them.

"So this is where they're at?" Asuna asked Kazumi as they strolled up to the stair steps leading to the tournaments sign up booths.

"Yep. Sayo told me so." The photographer replied as the ghost appeared behind her with a timid smile. "It does bring up the question on why she was following them though." The girl continued with a grin causing a blush to wash over the ghost's face.

"Y-you have th-the wrong idea!" Sayo assured them.

"Sure." Asuna told Sayo with a wink. "We totally believe you." After taking one last look at the booths Asuna turned and said, "Well we might as well go back to our club. Those guys probably won't be out unti-"

"Hey Asuna!" Madoka's voice suddenly rang out from behind her. Both Kazumi and her turned to the source of the call and froze in place when they saw Ako and Madoka approaching them from behind them.

"Hey guys. Whats up?" Asuna and Kazumi asked. They shifted their attention to Ako when the girl started to clutch her arm with her other hand in a shy gesture.

"Well, you see...there's something we'd like to ask you and..."

"Asuna." Madoka carried on from Ako's hesitant approach. "That cute guy from the other day; is he a friend or what? His hair was kind of like Negi-kun's and all so..."

"W-what? The other day?" Asuna got stiff in the legs. _Oh my gawd. They saw Negi with me the other day! Who else knows about the date besides them?! How am I gonna go about this?! _"Well...erm.."

"He isn't your boyfriend is he?!" Ako suddenly asked, completely catching Asuna and Kazumi off guard.

"NO WAY!" Asuna answered quickly. He's a c-cousin- Negi's cousin, that's right! He was visiting Japan so I g-gave him a tour of campus!"

"Negi-kun has a cousin?" Madoka mused with a tap to her chin. The girls turned their attention to the stair steps when they heard the voices of two young men. Ako and Madoka's eyes sparkled with excitement when they saw Negi and Kotaro while Asuna on the other hand was barely grasping consciousness. She felt as though she would faint at any moment!

"Ahh...you two." Negi said with a sigh, glaring at Kotaro and Chachazero who shifted her position on to his shoulders so they could talk.

"This stuff is amazing!" Kotaro grinned. Both of them stopped talking on the matter when they noticed that they were being watched and Negi waved at Ako and Madoka with a polite greeting.

"Ako-san! Kugimiya-san! How's it going?" His greeting prompted Asuna to appear beside him before slamming her hand on his head with enough force to make him wince in pain. He edged back when she leaned over to whisper to him saying, "Negi you idiot! They're going to find out if you keep this going!"

"O-oh! You're right!" Negi gasped. "J-just follow my lead then!" Asuna and Negi looked back at Ako and Madoka to see them regarding Negi oddly as they tried to figure out how he knew their names before they even spoke to him. from that point Negi figured it would be best to introduce himself to them properly before they would get the wrong idea. "H-how do you do? Asuna has told me so much about you both! My name is Nagi Springfield." His eyes swiveled over to Kotaro who was practically picking his nose out in the open and slapped his hand away before introducing him as well, "And this is my friend...Koga!"

"Ko-wha-" Kotaro stopped dead when he realized that Chachazero was regarding him with her twisted eyes but what really made him quiet was the way her tiny hand was twitching for her blade at her side and the way Kazumi glared at him.

"Um...I..." Ako was trying as hard as she possibly could to find the words to speak. She opted for the best way to handle the situation and pulled the concert tickets out of her pocket before rushing over to Negi and Asuna. "I-I KNOW IT'S LAME B-BUT," She held the tickets out to him with her head bowed in embarrassment, "PLEASE COME IF YOU CAN!"

Negi accepted the tickets quickly in fear that the girl would explode. Ako felt the tickets slip out of her hand and almost dropped to the ground when she felt Negi's hands slip over her's for a brief moment.

_I-I must be making a f-fool of myself! I better go before he thinks I'm a loser! _Asuna and Negi jumped back when Ako turned on her heel and made some tracks. "G-GOTTA RUN!"

"Hope to see you there!" Madoka told them. "Make sure to bring Mr. Koga too." She winked at Kotaro and ran after her friend to calm her down. Kotaro cocked his head to the side as he pointed to himself and asked, "Was she talking about me?"

"She sure was!" Kazumi teased, nudging him in the ribs with a grin. "It's classic love at first sight. Right Asuna?"

"Sure..." Asuna took a few steps away from Negi when she realized they were still so close and went on. "This is going to give Negi a load of trouble now."

"Tell me about it." Negi said with a groan. "My hands are completely full now."

As the "teenagers" chatted with each other they didn't notice a certain vampiress passing by. Evangeline has just come back from the classroom when she heard all of the commotion. When she heard Negi was involved she decided to check it out to only find her classmates engaged in some sort of royal rumble. If there was anything she hated more it was the way those "brats" behaved. They were the kind of people she simply couldn't stand. It was a shame that most of the normal people were outside of Mahora Campus. Such civilized behavior was non-existent in the world of Mahora unfortunately which was the most probable reason as to why Magister's felt at home here.

"If those brats pester me one more time I'm going to..." Evangeline came to a halt when she saw Negi laughing with Asuna and the others...in his older form of all things! What made her ears perk up most was the words that came out of his mouth.

"So what should I wear at the concert?" Negi asked.

"Concert, huh?" Kotaro mused. His eyes wandered in boredom as he waited for Negi to get moving but he felt a terrible feeling and sought the source only for his eyes to lock on Evangeline. To say that he was nervous was a simple play at words that would have given the feeling no justice. "H-H-Hey Negi!" He threw an arm around his friend's shoulder and pulled him roughly. "Eva is watching us!"

"Eva? Who's Eva..." Negi noticed that Kotaro was pointing to something with his eyes and followed the gesture to see, "EVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?" Clearly the magi had lost contact with his brain at that moment because his voice died in a squeak and his eyes trembled.

"Negi? What's the deal?" Asuna asked with a frown. She heard Evangeline clear her throat and regarded the chibi vampire with a scowl. "Oh, look who decided to show up."

"Well, well Boya." Evangeline began as she walked to them; a devious grin plastered across her face. "What is this that I hear about a concert, hmmm? Did some girl ask you out on a date when she saw you in all of your..." She paused a moment to look him over before finishing. "Splendor?"

"Ahhh...m-master! How nice to see you!" Negi managed to say.

"I believe we discussed that you would call me "Eva" from now on, right?"

"Y-yes master."

"Eva? EVA? What's been going on ever since you moved in?" Asuna asked suspiciously as she stood between them.

"You mind?" Evangeline asked dully, regarding Asuna with a raised eyebrow.

"Stop ignoring me already!"

"You're interrupting our conversation, Kagurazaka."

"A-asuna-san." Negi placed his hands on both her shoulders and gently moved her out the way as he whispered in her ear, "S-she's dangerous! What's wrong with you?!"

"Anyway, Negi, you've joined the tournament right?" Evangeline inquired with a smirk. She already knew the answer to the question but she liked to make Negi sweat. If Negi was already making so many plans for the festival without her then she was going to slip herself in to his schedule whether he liked it or not. It just wouldn't be fair if he had so much fun without his master right?

"Yes Eva." Negi replied. Finding it a bit odd to say her name so freely. It just didn't quite roll of his tongue like most names for some reason. He saw her in deep thought after he answered and inwardly wished that he was able to read her thoughts just as she was able to read his.

"Right then! I'll enter the tournament myself." Evangeline suddenly declared making Negi and Kotaro jump back in horror. If she was going to join the tournament then there was no way that they could ever win! She was one of the most feared wizards in the entire magic world. Her name was known everywhere! Her crimes were know everywhere! Compared to her they were nothing but microbes!

"B-but master! WHY?!" Negi asked on the verge of throwing himself at her feet. "Why are you participating in the tournament? It'll be nothing but child's play for you!"

"I wanna see how my disciple's improved." The girl smiled as she placed her hands on her hips and asked, "Is that so wrong?"

"Ya damn right it is!" Kotaro protested but her glare made his rage fizzle out like a candle.

"Just remember Negi. If you are unable to best me in my weakened state you'll have to spend the entire last day of the festival with me in your current form." Evangeline licked her lips as she came up with another way to make the meeting a little more interesting. "And you'll have to do whatever I tell you without a single protest. Is that clear?"

"M-master..."

"Is that clear?!" Evangeline demanded.

"Y-yes master."

"Eva."

"I-I mean, Eva."

"By the way, that includes up to dinner and anything after." The vampiress said with a grin. "Aren't you just excited?"

"Never felt better..." Negi replied dully before receiving a light tap on the shoulder from his familiar. "What is it Chacha-chan?"

"Don't we have somewhere to go master Negi? It's already one 'eleven." Chachazero informed him.

"S-seriously?! Oh no, I'm late!"

"Late for what?" Evangeline and Asuna asked at the same time.

"I need to meet with Takane-san!" Negi replied, as he dashed away.

"A meeting with WHO?!"

* * *

**_At Chao's Restaurant on Wheels..._**

"Here you are." Chachamaru told Takane as she served the blonde magistress a nice, cold soft drink. Takane blinked a few times when she realized that the same android from the night before was serving her a drink and asked, "You work here?" As if the uniform wasn't enough proof, Chachamaru had the unusual urge to roll her eyes at the question. Something that was very rare for her to do since she wasn't one to show any emotion.

"Yes Ms. Goodman. I am a waitress here." Chachamaru replied. "I do not get my groceries for free." She decided to add as she turned away and headed back to tend to the other customers. If Takane didn't know better she would have believed that she caught a slight hint of sarcasm in the android's words. In all honesty she really didn't care for that as much as the fact that it was fifteen minutes after one and Negi had still not shown up. He wasn't seriously going to have her sit here alone was he?

"From his past behavior I assumed he was a gentlemen." Takane grabbed a napkin from the table and slowly began to twist it. "I guess I was wrong." Her words were immediately shoved in to the back of her mind, however, when she heard Negi's voice from beside her.

"Good afternoon Takane-san." Negi greeted her and he took a seat across from her. He massaged the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle. "I'm so sorry that I was late. I had to take care of a few things earlier and it kind of held me up."

"Some business? Regarding what, if you don't mind me asking."

"Teacher stuff." Negi replied off handedly making Chachazero giggle. The puppet's giggle caught Takane's attention and the blonde magistress frowned. First she finds out that Chachamaru is their waitress and now the puppet is with him. This wasn't exactly the private little meeting she pictured in her mind at all. Was this Negi's doing? Did he have her in the palm of his hand rather than the other way around? Takane had the sudden her to give him some applause for his ingenious works...despite that fact that this was all just a coincidence.

"I see you brought your familiar along." Takane pointed out sourly, her nurse hat tipping to the side as she cocked her head. "And here I was expecting us to be alone." She kept herself from blushing at her own words but what made it even worse was when Negi offered her that charming smile. Someone his age shouldn't have such a smile! What the hell was happening to her?!

"I go wherever master goes!" Chachazero answered her unvoiced question. She inwardly grinned when Negi gave her an affectionate pat on the head. Negi was really beginning to like this little relationship he was having with his familiar. She was almost like family to him now.

"How nice." Takane said dully before a disturbing smirk crossed her lips. "You know...I wouldn't have minded if you came as a man." Her words made Negi go stiff as one of his hands clamped around the edge of the table. When Takane saw the shock on his face a playful look washed over her face and she continued, "You thought I didn't know about your little secret?"

"W-well...I kind of figured you knew when we met in the market but...I was sort of hoping that you didn't." Negi replied rather gloomily. Takane had to keep her heart from melting when a Negi regarded her with a sad expression and asked, "Y-you aren't going to tell anyone are you? I d-don't want to get in too much trouble."

"What do you mean?" Takane asked, trying hard to keep a straight face.

"I know that there's others with you. I figure you might share this information with them next time you see them."

"...Wow. You can see right through me." Takane was taken aback but she regained her composure and offered him a friendly smile. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about our little secret but don't expect anymore kindness if you get normal civilians involved again. I saw you with that red-head before...you aren't influencing her are you?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"O-of course not." Negi lied. If Takane found out about the other girls that he made pactios with then he was going to be in some deep trouble.

"I sure hope not." She played with a lock of her hair, twirling it with her finger and looking back at him. "Since we're both going to be working together during the festival I think it'd be best that we become more than just co-workers. It allows us to have a tighter bond with each other."

"More than co-workers?"

"Friends Negi-sensei."

"Friends? I'd like that." Negi said with a smile that dazzled the girl again. His vampiric aura was working it's charms on her again and she could feel her heartbeat accelerate every time she looked in to his eyes or whenever he smiled.

"So tell me about yourself then." Takane said. "You don't seem to be from around here. I assume you didn't come from Mahora city."

"I'm from England." Negi replied. "I was studying in Wales before I came here to Mahora."

"A John bull you say?"

"Well...I guess you can say that." Negi said with an awkward chuckle. "Anyway I studied at Wales with a friend on mine named Anya. She gave me my first training wand, heh. We were pretty close, almost like a brother and sister you could say."

_From what I'm hearing it looks like it's going to take a while before he gets in to the information I really want. I need to push him a little farther or this will take forever! _Thought Takane as she nodded along with Negi to show that she was listening. She had to admit that it was kind of interesting to hear the past of the Thousand Master's son but something was a bit off. She was sure that he was leaving something out; something important regarding his father's mysterious disappearance.

"...duated from magic school at the top of my class." Negi finished. He raised an eyebrow curiously when he saw Takane looking a little distant and waved his hand in front of her. "Um, Takane-san, are you alright?"

"Er, yeah!" She snapped out of her stupor with a grin but Negi saw through it.

"Heh. I'm sorry about that. I guess my past is a little boring." the young magi apologized making Chachazero glare at Takane darkly for offending her master.

"B-boring? Not at all!" Takane assured him with a blush. "How did you come to be an English teacher here anyway? Aren't you just a bit too young to be teaching?"

"Well, the headmaster of the school I graduated from convinced Mr. Konoe to hire me as an English teacher. He said he wanted me to get out and see other parts of the world. He didn't want me to spend most of my young life in Wales I guess."

"So do you like it here?"

"I love it here." Negi replied cheerfully. "I've met so many interesting and extraordinary people here and I get to see more of Takamichi here than back when he used to visit my village."

"That's great to hear." Takane mused with a grin. "Have you ever been out to Mahora city?"

"I have but not many times to be honest." Negi turned his attention away from Takane when Chachamaru came to their table with a glass of iced tea on a tray for him. He didn't remember ordering anything from her but it seemed as though the android already knew what he would have ordered if she came to take his order.

"Good afternoon Negi-kun." Chachamaru greeted him with a slight smile as she set down his drink for him.

"Thanks Chachamaru-san. How did you know I was going to order iced tea?"

"I knew it was your favorite beverage." The android replied almost proudly. Takane on the other hand wasn't taking kindly to her conversation with Negi being interrupted. She knew that Chachamaru was their waitress but for some reason she thought this little intermission was for more than just bringing a drink. She listened as Negi and Chachamaru continued their leisure conversation and her eye twitched when she felt that this was going a little too far for her liking. This was taking longer than she expected!

"Um, excuse me?" She interrupted their conversation. When the both of them turned their heads to regard her she flinched at their quick response. She actually just expected Chachamaru to look at her. "Aren't you going to take our orders yet?"

"If that is your wish." was Chachamaru's reply. Had Negi or Takane really been paying attention to how she responded they would have caught the odd tone in her voice that usually wasn't present. It would seem that Chachamaru didn't take kindly to her conversation being interrupted either, however, she pulled out an ordering pad regardless and faced the blonde magistress. "I trust you already know what you wish to order."

Takane sweat dropped at the android's words. Chachamaru knew very well that Takane had not taken the time to look over the menu during her conversation with Negi. This was just her way of telling Takane to shut up and it worked well seeing as how she tensed up and stared blankly at her.

"Um...g-give me a sec." Takane laughed nervously as she snatched her menu up from the table to view it.

"Very well." Chachamaru said with a nod before turning back to Negi. "May I recommend the special to you Negi-kun?"

"What is it Chachamaru?" Negi asked curiously.

"Stir fried vegetables and lobster meat in a rich sauce."

"That sounds good!"

"You approve?"

"Yes, I'll have the special. Thanks Chachamaru."

"You are very welcome." Chachamaru said with a bow before turning back to Takane once more. "Have you decided yet?"

"Erm...I-I'll have the same as Negi-sensei." Takane replied quickly. The quicker she got back to talking with Negi, the better. Chachamaru took a moment to study the magistress when she felt that something was amiss before nodding and turning to go confirm their orders with the chef. She didn't like this outing between Negi and Takane at all. Something about the blonde magistress seemed so false to her since she met with her last night. She was going to be sure to keep a close eye on her.

Takane turned back to Negi with a sigh and offered him another smile to set the mood. Gradually she began to notice, however, that each smile started to feel a little less false. She almost felt as though being with the young magi actually made her want to smile instead of having to force it professionally. She had to admit though that his company was rather pleasant. His cheerful demeanor and his gentle ways were quite attractive.

_What the heck?! Those weird thoughts are coming to me again! He is way too young to be getting these sorts of reactions out of me! _Takane fought hard to keep herself from expressing her distress outwardly. Negi saw her eyes dart around as she coped with her current mood and simply took a drink of his iced tea in hopes that she would calm down by the time he looked back at her. The blonde magistress could tell she was disturbing him and decided to just ignore her odd thoughts.

"So I hear from Takamichi that you're quite experienced in the arts of magic. In fact he's told me that you've been in combat before."

"Oh, he did? Well...you could say that." Negi replied, massaging the back of his neck.

"Surely you must be strong for him to compliment you."

"I wouldn't say that. I'm really not that top notch."

"Nonsense." Takane snapped, narrowing her eyes at Negi imperceptibly. The young magi felt something going on and prepared himself for whatever came next. "I've noticed that Evangeline Mcdowell has taken an interest in you."

"W-why would you say that?"

"She calls you 'disciple'." Takane answered. She took pleasure in watching him squirm in his seat when she said that. She struck a nerve in the young magi and she knew it. "Obviously that could only mean that she is your 'master'. You seem to address her by the term anyway."

"You've overheard us talking to each other before?!" Negi asked in confusion.

"Well what's wrong with that?" Takane asked suspiciously. "You don't mind calling her that in public."

"...No."

"So would it be odd for me to know that?"

"I don't think so." Negi replied hesitantly even though his thoughts were of a rather different nature. If she overheard their conversations that could only mean that she had been keeping tabs on him for quite some time. He hoped she didn't know anything about his nocturnal nature. She didn't mention anything about it but if she had any knowledge it might just cause some complications. He saw Takane open her mouth to talk and broke away from his thoughts to listen.

"So I assume she's your master in the arts of magic right?"

"Yes."

"And being the type of magic user that she is...I'm sure you know a little more than just Light magic. She must have introduced you in to the dark arts by now."

"Y-yes. Is there a problem?" Negi asked nervously.

"No...not yet." Takane replied.

"What do you mean, "not yet"?" Negi asked.

"What I mean is, who's to say that she isn't plotting something?" Takane saw an array of emotions flash across Negi's face and smirked at her own craftiness. "I see you look a little confused."

"I-I am. What would Eva be plotting?"

"Eva, huh? I thought you would address her by master but it would seem you two are a little closer now." Takane said with a frown. "You ask what a dark wizard would be plotting? I'd think the answer to that is quite easy. She plots to have a successor. Another wizard to be her partner so she'll be an unstoppable force to reckon with, " The blonde magistress grinned, "And who a better candidate than the Thousand Master's pride and joy, his son?"

"Eva-san is nothing like that! She wouldn't do that!" Negi snapped, catching Takane off guard. "That's a terrible thing to say."

"A terrible thing to say about one of the most feared wizards in the world of magic? I see she already has sweetened your impression of her. When she knows you're completely devoted to her then she'll be ready to make a move."

"You are distressing Master Negi." Chachazero suddenly said darkly. "I suggest that you stop slipping venom in to master's ear or you won't be forgiven."

"The puppet speaks?"

"Yes, I can do that." Chachazero quipped sarcastically. "From the very start of this meeting Master has been the only one to talk about his personal business. I think it would be fair if you reveal a little bit about yourself as well." Chachazero narrowed her eyes before saying her last word. "Friend."

"It's alright Chacha-chan." Negi assured his familiar in a soothing tone. "I'm sure Takane-san is just a little worried about my relationship with master." Negi made sure to revert his way of addressing Evangeline to it's formal in front of the blonde magistress. "I assure you that master would do nothing of the sort however."

"How would you know?"

"Because she's changed."

"Change-"

"Can we get off the subject?" Negi cut her off much to her surprise. It was the first time that she heard him sound so serious. "I'd appreciate it if we just had a friendly meeting. From what I can tell with your last few questions we've been talking business haven't we?"

Takane's eyes widened gradually when he spoke. She had underestimated him drastically. He knew what she was after all along and it made her feel a little uncomfortable. "I'm...sorry." She apologized. She even surprised herself after she realized what she had done.

"It's alright Takane-san." Negi told her with a smile. "I don't blame you for doing your job but like you said before, it would be nice to see each other as more than co-workers." Negi held his hand out to her. "Let's be friends, huh?"

Takane blushed.

"...Negi-sensei..."

* * *

**_The Next day..._**

Negi took off from the porch of Evangeline's residence and took flight with Chachazero perched on his head, clinging on to his hair tightly so she wouldn't fall off while they were in the air. Makie informed him that they wanted him to see the completed Haunted house today so he wanted to leave the house as soon as possible. Evangeline seemed to be in a rather odd mood since he came back from having lunch with Takane and the mood managed to drag over to this morning. He woke up to see Evangeline hovering over him like a lion ready to devour it's prey. Needless to say, the young magi was a little scared to stay for breakfast.

"You don't think she was planning to bite me do you?" Negi asked Chachazero.

"I don't suppose so." Chachazero replied. "If she wanted to she would have done it."

"Yeah, you're right. It still doesn't make me feel better about the way she was looking at me though." He saw a clear landing spot and began to descend, making sure that there was no one to see him as he got lower. When he touched the ground he straightened out his clothes and got on to the path to get to the haunted house.

**_-----------------------------------------_**

**_The Haunted house..._**

**_----------------------------------------_**

"Alright! We did it!" Madoka cheered as she pumped her fist in the air with Sakurako "Negi-sensei is going to be so proud!"

"Hey!" Fuka got everyone's attention.

"There he goes right now!" Fumika informed them as Negi walked towards the Haunted house in the distance. Instead of waiting for him to get to the Haunted house all of the girls opted to closing the distance between them.

"Uh-oh." Negi squeaked when he saw the girls running towards him. He counted down the seconds he had left before Ayaka smashed in to him and took him in to a warm hug while the other girls tried to pry him from her grips. Chachazero was trying with all that she had in her not to attack the girls who were smothering the poor young magi.

"We've finished sensei!" The class president informed him as though he couldn't already tell by now.

"It's the best ever made!" Makie declared with pride.

"We made sure of that." Sayo said meekly.

"Just wait till you give it a try!" Haruna said with a grin. Negi felt a pull on his arm and saw Konoka beside him with Chamo perched on her shoulder.

"Come on Negi-kun." She managed to pop him out of Ayaka's arms much to the class president's displeasure and lead him to Asuna who was leaning against a tree near the crowd of girls who were bragging about their contributions to the house. "You wouldn't believe what Asuna did."

"What happened?" Negi asked.

"She called Takamichi and guess what he said?!" The girl started to get giddy so Negi practically already knew the answer to her question. He decided to humor her anyway.

"What did he say?"

"He's going to go out with her!" Konoka's words made the red-head come to life from her post against the tree.

"D-don't remind me!" Asuna cried out.

"B-but what's wrong with that Asuna-san?! Isn't that supposed tp be a good thing for you?" Negi asked in confusion. He thought this was exactly what she wanted but now she sounded as though she regretted even asking Takamichi at all.

"NO, it's not good! Not good at all! How am I supposed to act when I do see him?! Ever since I received his answer I haven't been able to eat or sleep! I'm gonna die before I even get to date him! AHHHH, I should've never bothered at all!" Asuna looked as though she was on the verge of smashing her head in to the tree until it was a bloody pulp.

"H-hey! Calm down ane-san. It's always like that at first." Chamo assured her with a casual wave of his paw. "You'll feel much better when they day comes. Believe me on this one."

"Yeah, easy for you to sa-"

"Negi sensei! Hello!" Shizuna's voice cut off Asuna. Negi looked to the source of the voice and saw Shizuna waving at him with Setsuna near the path to the Haunted House. "I'm so glad that I finally found you. The Headmaster would like to see you."

"He would? I better head back to the main building then." Negi said with a nod.

"Oh, he's not in his office. He's waiting over at World Tree Plaza." She gestured to Setsuna. "I'd like Sakurazaki-san to come as well."

"...Okay."

**_----------------------------------------------_**

**_World Tree Plaza..._**

**_----------------------------------------------_**

"What do you think he wants?" Negi asked Setsuna as they walked to the plaza.

"Don't really know." Setsuna replied, observing everything as she followed Negi. There was nobody around and it was making her curious. "This is odd."

"What is?" Negi asked.

"It's the day before the festival and no one is around." She observed. Negi realized that they were not alone, however, when he saw some people standing at the top of the stair steps in front of the foot of the enormous World Tree.

"Who're they?"

"Hey Negi-kun!" The headmaster greeted him, raising a bushy eyebrow. "We've been waiting for you."

"W-whoa." Negi could feel magic power pulsating from the people who were accompanying the headmaster and was surprised to see Takamichi, Kotaro, Takane, and Mei amongst them. He even recognized some of the other faculty with them. "Who are all of these peo-"

"I suppose I've yet to introduce them." The Headmaster said. "These people before you; Elementary, Junior High, High school, University; They're all from Mahora city and they all teach magic. There are student of magic here as well but not many."

Seruhiko approached Negi and shook the young magi's hand. "Sorry I couldn't tell you sooner Negi-kun. I wished I'd been able to help with the school trip but the headmaster ordered me to stay and protect the students."

"Th-that's okay." Negi told him, still surprised. "Still...to think that there are so many mages at this academy." He made eye contact with Takane and smiled at her but she simply turned away to his confusion. She acted almost as though she was trying to ignore him.

"There's a reason I've gathered all of you here today." The headmaster started the briefing. "It seems we've a problem and I'll need all of your help to set it right." He noticed the look of alert on Negi and Setsuna's face. "It's not as bad as the school trip. It's awe inducing in it's own way however. I'm sure you all know about the World tree legend, correct?"

"Yeah, yeah." Kotaro said casually. "I get tired of hearing about it from all of the students. All of that lovey-dovey bull."

"More about becoming a couple right?" Negi clarified.

"That's close enough." The headmaster said before a serious expression washed over his face. "The thing is...the legend is true. Wishes do come true once every twenty-two years." His words shocked Kotaro and Setsuna but Negi already heard about it from Evangeline so he wasn't as surprised.

"And so what I need from everyone is to keep any of the students from putting the legend of the world tree to the test, especially if those concern matters of the heart. The consequences would be simply devastating if an epidemic started."

"S-so it's actually true?!" Kotaro asked in disbelief.

"The students call this the "World Tree" when in actuality it's really called the "Sacred Tree". It absorbs magical energy and every twenty-two years it gathers so much to the point that the magic begins to flow outward. This magic is susceptible to human emotion, however, only to Love. The effects of confession is likely to one hundred and twenty percent so it's more of a curse than a blessing!"

"But what's so wrong with love?" Negi asked bluntly.

"It's just wrong! Would you want to fall in love against your will?" The headmaster asked with a frown.

"N-no!"

"Well, that's the prize of a confession."

"That's terrible!" Negi's impression of the tree had totally changed.

"Someone's watching us." Mei suddenly said out of the blue. All of the other mages turned to her when she spoke and regarded her questionably with the exception of the mages in black suits and shades. One of them sporting a beard looked to the distance and snapped his fingers. Negi watched as a white-hot blaze of energy discharged from the man's fingers and destroyed a spying robot that was hovering a few feet over them.

"An incantationless spell?" Negi gasped.

"I sensed no magical power so I assume it was mechanical." The magi agent said as he inhaled from the cigarette hanging from his lips. "This might be the work of a student. You just can't underestimate those students."

"I'll find them." Takane volunteered. "It shouldn't be too hard to find them. There's only a handful of them capable of this sort of thing." She turned to Mei and gestured for her to follow. "Let's get going Mei."

"Yes onesan." Mei complied.

"You must not go too far with them." The headmaster warned the mages who were walking off to find the problem. "Our students stand to lose their very youth. Please use the utmost caution in your use of magic. I'll be counting on you all." He turned back to Negi and the others after speaking to the leaving mages and said, "Please begin your scheduled patrols immediately. That is all! Dismissed." He waved them off and took his leave as well.

Just as the Headmaster walked away students began pouring in to the plaza from out of nowhere as though they had been around the entire time.

"What the? What's going on?" Negi asked in confusion.

"The spell keeping them away must have been lifted." Setsuna answered calmly. "We should get going." She told Negi and Kotaro.

"Yeah, you're right." Negi nodded before descending the steps with Kotaro and Setsuna. When they were in the crowd, walking through the entire different assortment of stands that were set up beside the main plaza where the World Tree resided, Kotaro chuckled.

"This World tree stuff is freaky, huh?" He asked Negi.

"Yeah, but there were so many mages and teachers there at the meeting! Can you believe it?!"

"What's the big deal?" Kotaro teased with a grin. "We could take them all, no problem. That western magic ain't nothin'."

"Does it always have to come down to that with you?" Setsuna asked with a grin.

"This patrol stuff is going to really clash with your schedule master." Chachazero told Negi with a giggle. The magi gasped when he realized that she was right and yanked his own hair! If he had patrol then it was going to take two of him to see all of his students at the same time and that was just impossible!

"Ahhhhhh man!" Negi groaned.

"What's your issue?" Kotaro asked casually. The comedic mood was disrupted when one of the nearby stands suddenly crashed to the ground in splinters of wood. Negi, Setsuna, and Kotaro turned their heads toward the crash site and rushed to see if they could help out.

"H-hey! Are you alright?" Negi asked the hooded figure that was lying on the buns that were on the stand for sale. The person groaned as they tried to get on their knees and Negi was shocked to see that it was Chao when her hood slipped off her head. She was grinning as though nothing had happened to her at all.

"N-negi-chan! Thank goodness!" She clutched his arms so he would lean over to her and asked, "Could you please help me?! I'm being chased by some shady characters!"

"You're being chased by who?!" Negi asked but before Chao could even answer he sensed something coming their way fast and looked up toward the source of the power to see an assailant wearing black garbs and a cape. He couldn't see their face at all due to the odd large hat they had on. "Watch out!" He pulled Chao in to his arms and jumped away from the ruined stand just in time to avoid being crushed by the assailant.

"What's going on?!" Setsuna reached for her sword, which was wrapped in a red cloth at her back and held it in preparation to rip it out and strike.

"Those are the guy who are after me!" Chao warned them.

"Guys?!" Kotaro asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I only see one gu-" He died out in mid-sentence when five more of them landed beside the one they were already facing.

"Time to get going!" Negi yelled as he kicked off from the ground and sent himself flying in the air with Chao in his arms. Setsuna and Kotaro did the same, forcing their dark assailants to follow them in to the air. To all the students who were walking beside Negi and the others, they simply saw blurs that disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Negi, Setsuna, and Kotaro ran across rooftops as they tried to keep a distance between them and the dark figures. It looked as though they would have to engage in close combat since their pursuers were very quick.

"Whoa! How the heck are they keeping up with us?!" Kotaro demanded after stealing a glance back at their dark pursuers.

"I'm being chased by evil mages!" Chao told Negi. "Won't you help me?!"

"Evil mages?!" Negi gasped before hearing Setsuna cry out, "Watch out! In front of us!" The young magi turned away from Chao just in time to see more of the dark men running to them from the front.

"Setsuna!" Negi called out to his comrade.

"Yeah?!"

"Take Chao!" He tossed the Chinese girl to Setsuna and she caught her. "I'll see if I can hold these guys off!"

"Alrigth!" Setsuna nodded and jumped to another roof.

"Let's get started then Negi!" Kotaro roared excitedly.

"Let's do it!" Negi agreed.

"Alright!" Chachazero cried out with glee. "We've finally got some action!" She felt the wind rush through her hair when Negi kicked off hard with one foot and sent himself flying in to a group of their dark adversaries! Negi whipped around with a twisting kick and sent two of the dark assailants crashing to the ground below. Just as the others tried to get their hands on him, Kotaro came out of nowhere and bashed in to them before they could do anything to Negi.

"Thanks Kotaro!"

"Don't let your guard down yet!" Kotaro pointed behind Negi and the young magi saw even more of their dark foes coming in!

"Where are they coming from!" Negi cried out. Just as they were about to engage in close combat with Negi there was a quick glint of light and they were sliced in half. Negi blinked in confusion when he saw them go down so easily and grinned when Setsuna appeared over their fallen bodies, sheathing her sword.

"C'mon! Chao is waiting from us on the other roof!" Setsuna beckoned them.

"Watch out!" Setsuna got in position to attack when Negi cried out but to her amazement Negi disappeared and was beside her in a matter of seconds before he struck her ambusher with an elbow thrust to the stomach. The dark warrior disappeared in a sliver of black smoke and Setsuna smirked.

"You've gotten very strong from before Negi-sensei." She praised.

"Thanks!"

"Watch out! There's a bunch incoming!" Kotaro warned them, pointing overhead.

_I've got this covered! _Negi thought as he prepared a spell. Setsuna realized that Negi was already on it and warned, "Remember not to use anything too flashy!"

"Don't worry!" Negi assured her. He pointed his palm at the incoming group od dark warrior and unleashed a barrage of dark arrows that destroyed them in puffs of dark smoke. To all of the students going about their business below they merely saw a firework display. That was, except for Evangeline and Chachamaru who happened to be strolling in the plaza. The vampiress sensed the dark spell when it was preformed and a grin crossed her lips.

"Boya?" She mused aloud.

Takane and Mei felt the quick surge of dark energy and went way on alert.

"This isn't good. It looks like our mystery student has a dark ally." Takane said grimly.

"What should we do?!" Mei asked, getting in to a battle stance with her broom. "You don't think it's "**_Dark Evangel_**" do you?!"

"I sure hope not! Gandolfini must have sensed it as well." Takane whipped out her wand and smirked. "We'll just have to face them regardless of who it is."

* * *

Negi, Kotaro, Setsuna and Chao rested in an alley to take a breather and regroup their thoughts. They were going to have to use a different strategy if they wanted to end this intense engagement without arousing any unwanted attention. 

"Thanks for saving me!" Chao thanked the three of them.

"We can't rest just yet." Setsuna warned everyone. "The master of those shadow puppets is sure to be near."

"It's still so surprising to come across such strong fighters of such a young age though!" Chao said excitedly as she turned to Negi. "Good work with sneaking that magic attack with the fireworks Negi-chan." She gave him a thumb up, causing him to blush.

"Y-you're too kind." Negi said, massaging the back of his neck. "Y-you know about mages Chao-san?"

"As much as Hakase." Chao replied before Negi, Setsuna and Kotaro whipped their heads in the direction of the end of the alley in alert.

"I think the caught on to out trail." Setsuna observed, reaching for her blade as she narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "They're close."

"I'd say there's about three of them." Kotaro said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Th-that's not good! They'll erase my memory for sure!" Chao said in distress.

"Wh-what? How so?" Negi asked Chao quickly but Kotaro tapped him on the shoulder.

"They're getting much closer now. One's on the roof...what should we do?" Kotaro asked. The game was on now and their opponents were making their moves. If they didn't do the same quick they would probably be defeated in a matter of moments.

Takane stood in the midst of the crowd of students with two of her shadow puppets by her side and grinned. _I can sense that we've surrounded our adversaries. This shouldn't take too long to resolve. The fools have nowhere to run._

Gandolfini heard Takane's thoughts and telepathically warned her, _"We've no idea who our opponent is! Slow and steady wins the race, got that?!"_

_"I'm ready to take them on!" _Mei informed them.

"Lets get moving master." Chachazero warned him. "I'll do what I can to block our enemies telepathy. They're planning out their strategy with each other as we lay here idly."

"Alright then!" Negi started off to get Setsuna and Kotaro's attention. "He who strikes first, wins. Let's merge in to this mass of people and find out what's what. Setsuna, "He turned to her and jabbed a thumb toward the roof, "You take the top."

"You got it." Setsuna said with a nod. _He sounds so grown up. I can't help but feel confident in his plan._

_Pretty good for an amateur. _Kotaro thought with a grin. "I guess I'll help you out down here then."

"I've disrupted their telepathic communication master." Chachazero said as her eyes burned brightly. "Without their bond they shouldn't be able to call for back up. The time to strike would be now."

"Then let's do it." Negi said with a grin. He felt his fangs begin to pulsate and Chachazero cackled evilly as the dark energy built up within Negi.

"Ready when you are partner." Kotaro grinned as he sharpened his claws against the alley wall.

"**_GO_**!"

**_To be continued..._**

**__**

_Well, I never expected it to take this long to update but life gets in the way sometimes. Heh, anyway I hope you all enjoyed this chapter...must be the longest of this entire series so far and as you can see the MahoFest is right around the corner which means MAJOR brainstorming, plot twists and all the good stuff!_

_Anyway, till next time..._

_**Traingham...**_

_****_

_**P.S: If you haven't checked out that movie "300" yet, I recommend it...the beginning was kinda slow though...**_


	14. Signs of Jealousy?

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Fourteen: Unexpected Meetings_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

There was something about the wind rushing against one's face that inspired a sense of confidence and strength. The freedom that it made one feel as the wind caressed their body would inspire a sense of invulnerability; a sense of invincibility. The thought of misfortune was forgotten in the back of one's mind and all was right with the world. Negi felt all of these things as he glided through the midst of students completely undetected due to the speed he was traveling at. Female students had to keep their skirts down with both of their hands to keep themselves from flashing any unsuspecting onlookers. Even the male students who were out on the prowl for a date for the festival couldn't help but flinch from the unexpected rush of wind against their legs.

The Magisters who were presently engaged in combat, however, were on the alert for their adversaries. This was especially fact when they were under the impression that a powerful dark mage was their opponent. Takane took upon a battle stance with her shadow puppets at her side in wait of their mysterious adversary. Mei did the same with her broom in hand, her eyes darting from side to side as her sense went wild from the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Gandolfini kept his cool and walked around the plaza with one hand kept under his jacket in preparation to strike when necessary. The three were ready to encounter any threat that came their way.

Kotaro was nearly invisible as he pumped his legs at a pace that seemed as though they would detach from his upper body. His eyes widened slightly when two dark warriors were in his sights and he flexed his claws with a grin before kicking off with one foot and launching himself straight at them. The warriors saw that he made the first move already and attempted to best him but seconds later they were wisps of black smoke as the wolf demon's claws ripped through their shadow like garbs. Two girls who were taking a leisure stroll were startled when Kotaro came to a sudden halt in front of them and jumped back in fright when he was no longer standing before them in the blink of an eye.

"Y-you saw that right?!" The blonde asked her flaming haired companion.

"You two?! Thank gawd, I thought those pills were kicking in early." The red head sighed.

"Er...what?"

"These puppets ain't nothin'!" Kotaro laughed with a grin as he picked up the pace in his run again. "Where is the real challenge?!" His eyes darted from side to side as he searched for the puppet master. He growled in agitation when all he saw was normal students until his eyes locked on Mei's back. He felt the power flowing through her and a smirk came upon his lips as he prepared for the duel. Kotaro jumped in the air and landed before her, whipping around to face her in a defensive stance.

"There ya are!" Kotaro declared but his loud declaration fell to a confused wheeze when he realized he was facing the very girl who stood beside him when they were having the briefing near the World Tree. "Hey...you're-"

"HYAA!" Mei cried out, cutting Kotaro off as she twirled her broom with one hand before taking hold of it with the other to strike him in the face. Kotaro's quick reflexes saved him from plastic surgery as he bent backwards, allowing the offending broom head to pass over his nose by mere centimeters. The young red-head passed the broom stick between hands behind her back and jerked upward with a rising slash that grazed Kotaro's chin forcing him to to regain his battle stance.

"I think we've both got the wrong idea here!" He tried to calm her but Mei didn't seem to be in the mood to talk as she went in for another strike. "I tried to talk but I guess we'll do this the- whoa!" He jumped over a floor sweep from the girl and decided to keep his mouth shut for the remainder of the duel. He wasn't about to underestimate the girl but he had a strict "No hitting girls" policy and that was making it all the more difficult to touch her. _I can always depend on myself to get in to this sort of situation, huh?! This girl doesn't seem to be controlling those freaky guys though so that must mean..._

_We are dealing with mages of different ability!_ Setsuna thought, fiercely slashing upwards with her sword to dispatch a dark warrior who foolishly confronted her. She felt a different vibe from the air around her and whipped around with a horizontal slash that cut two more warriors asunder. She felt a different aura from the other students in the crowd below and narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "That aura sure doesn't belong to a weakling. That must be my target!" She sheathed her sword and ran across the roof she was on before jumping down to the crowd of students below but before her feet could even touch the ground a squad of shadow puppet who were in wait spotted her and rushed to apprehend her. She kicked off from the floor when one of her feet landed and sent herself airborne again.

"They're everywhere!" Her left hand twitched in anticipation to draw her blade as the group of dark warrior almost caught up with her. Just as they were in arms reach she unsheathed her blade and they were wisps of smoke just as she sheathed it once more. Her eyes searched the plaza grounds for the aura she sensed and frowned to find that the mage was gone. "He must've sensed me."

"The Puppet master is near master Negi!" Chachazero alerted Negi with a light pull at the locks of hair in her tiny hands.

"I sense her too!" Negi replied, clenching both of his hands in to tight fists. When his sense started to run wild he gasped as two dark warriors appeared before him and quickly reacted with a palm to their guts with both hands. The two were gone in puffs of smoke instantly and Negi readied his wand in one hand while gathering energy in the other. The young magi kicked off from the ground, sending him toward a metal light pole and wall kicked from it on contact to launch himself over Takane's head. Just when he felt that he reached his main opponent his eyes widened with shock when he found himself rushing toward Takane. "It c-can't be!"

"Who is that..." Takane died off in mid-sentence and whipped around just as the blur in front of her came to a sudden halt causing her hair to flow with the violent burst of wind that accompanied Negi's sudden stop. "Negi-sensei?!" She had her wand pointed at him in an instant. "You're the one who's helping our enemy? You're the one responsible for hindering our attempts to capture the spy?!"

"T-Takane-san?" Was his only response to her accusing words as his hands dropped down to his sides.

"This dark power I feel flowing through you...it's far too much for an apprentice of the dark arts! Just who are you and why are you against us?!"

"H-hey! I was under the impression that you were the bad guy!" Negi retorted, his eyes focused on the wand being pointed at him. "I not trying to cause any trouble."

"Don't you lie to me!" Takane scowled as she took a step closer so that the tip of the wand was at the distance of a point blank shot. "...Traitor."

"Takane-"

"Don't you come any closer!" Just as Takane was about to unleash her spell upon Negi his hand jerked forward to clasp the bottom of her wrist and point her wand upwards. There was a storm of light as the spell shot upwards and Takane felt her heart pump faster with each passing moment as she found herself face to face with Negi. She was surprised to find that his grip on her wrist was firm but gentle and that there was no sign of malice on his face.

"Just calm down." Negi told her in a calm voice. "I'm sure there must be some sort of misunderstanding." The young teacher quirked an eyebrow in confusion when he felt two hands upon his shoulders and glanced at them to see shadow like hands belonging to some dark warriors behind him. He turned back to the blonde magistress with awkward grin and said, "Somehow I don't think you've been listening to me."

"That's it! I'm going in!" Chachazero cried out as she drew out both of her blades she prepared to lunge at Takane's face but she suddenly found herself in the comfort of Negi's arms and hung her head in defeat. "Master?!"

"I don't want you to get in trouble." Negi told his puppet with a smile despite his current situation.

"Ohhhh...c'mon!" The puppet whined but Negi's mind didn't shift at all.

_You're able to keep on a smile even in the tightest situation, hm, Negi-sensei? _Takane thought with a slight frown. "I'm sorry sensei but I have to be cautious."

_I can't keep myself too preoccupied with you! _Kotaro thought, catching Mei's broom just as she tried to strike him with an overhead slash. The redhead gasped when she realized that her attack had been stopped and Kotaro took her moment of shock to send her crashing in to one of the stands behind her with her broom. He immediately ran to her fallen form, however, to see that she wasn't injured seriously. He held her up in his arms, making sure to hold her head correctly so he wouldn't hurt her anymore than he already did.

"Hey...I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" He asked Mei. Her only reply was a pained groan as she allowed herself to rest in her fallen position.

_Negi-sensei...I don't feel his aura pulsating anymore like before. Has he already dealt with the puppet master then? _Setsuna thought as she continued her run across the building roofs. She felt a magic presence hiding in wait for her beside one of the upcoming chimneys and she drew her sword.

"Show yourself!" Setsuna cried out menacingly. Gandolfini did as he was told, moving swiftly with his gun aimed at the student but when they saw each other they let their arms drop to their sides immediately before they could make the mistake of attacking each other.

"Wait a second!" Setsuna puzzled.

"Aren't you the young woman from the plaza?" Gandolfini asked.

**_-----------------------------------------_**

**_Some time later..._**

**_-----------------------------------------_**

"What's going on here?" Negi asked in confusion as he watched Mei take her place beside Takane and Gandolfini. Kotaro stood at his left with his hands behind his back with a sheepish expression and Setsuna took his right, wrapping her sheath in a red cloth like before. Chao took her place behind Negi nervously with her hands on his shoulders as she quickly concluded that her little charade was over.

"I was hoping that you would tell us that Negi-sensei." Gandolfini told Negi with a skeptic expression on his face as he regarded the pig-tailed girl hiding behind him. "Why in the world would you protect problem student Chao Lingshen?!"

"What?" Negi stepped away from Chao reluctantly and regarded her oddly. "Problem student?" He had no idea what she had done to have a mage consider her a problem student as though all infamously knew her. The nervous look on her face as she laughed told him that this might have been true however. Kotaro and Setsuna suddenly didn't seem to feel very comfortable around the Chinese girl as either.

"Chao?" Negi said her name in a questioning manner. She understood the unvoiced question and responded with a sheepish grin. The young magi didn't feel that it was his place to judge her so he willingly defended her regardless. He turned around to face Gandolfini and the two others before saying, "Because I'm her teacher, that's why! Wouldn't you do the same for one of your students?!" His words took the dark skinned mage aback with their edge.

"You?!" Gandolfini was surprised. "You're Chao Lingshen's teacher?!" A smirk suddenly came across his face as he scratched his chin with one hand; placing his other hand under his elbow. "Now I see! So that's why you..." He had the urge to give the young mage a round of applause. "I must admit that you had me worried. I was wondering what type of rogue mages they let in to this campus for us to come across such trouble." The smirk on his face dropped just as quickly as it appeared and he closed the distance between Negi and himself, leaning over when he was in arms reach.

"So I take it that you've been told nothing about Chao Lingshen..." He stole a lance at Chao from the corner of his eye when he saw the girl's expression darken considerably at the fashion he spoke to Negi with. She obviously didn't want her "Good girl" impression on Negi to be soiled with grime.

"N-no...should I-"

"Then I must ask that you defer to us." Gandolfini cut Negi off before he could finish getting the words out of his mouth. His eyes swiveled over to Chao again as he stood up straight again and he ordered coldly, "Chao Lingshen, come with us."

"Huh?" Chao suddenly found two shadow puppets at her sides before they seized both her arms so she wouldn't move. They led her over to where Takane and Mei were waiting and the Chinese girl looked back at her teacher innocently, pleading that he come to her rescue with her eyes. "N-Negi-chan?"

"W-what do you mean to do with Chao-san?!" Negi demanded when he saw Gandolfini walking back to meet Takane and her underling.

"No one's quite sure yet." Takane answered cryptically. "On thing is for certain though- all memory of mages must be wiped away from her mind."

"Wait! But it's so sudden!"

"Actually, Chao is on her third warning." Gandolfini retorted, turning back to regard Negi as a breeze kicked up causing his loose jacket to flap along with the air. "Negi-sensei, in order for mages to co-exist with the normal world peacefully our existence must be kept a secret...you do realize that? It's best that mundane know nothing about us."

"Y-yeah, so I've been taught." Negi replied uneasily.

"For our own reasons we've allowed Chao somewhat in on our situation, however, for her to eavesdrop on us with stealth devices such as that robot that was spying on us earlier is something we just can't overlook." He turned back to Chao who was still being monitored by two of Takane's shadow puppets and said, "Disruption of school rules by any other student would result in severe punishment. This is the third time you've defied us correct?"

"Yes.."Chao replied somewhat shamefully.

"You must know then that disregarding all of our warning will result in you being reprimanded right?"

"R-right."

Negi looked on as the older mage gradually broke down one of the geniuses in his class and clenched his fists. There was just something so wrong about watching his own student cower in the face of the older man and it didn't sit well with him at all. On the other hand he may have just committed a crime in protecting Chao from Gandolfini and he wasn't sure if it was even his place to say something to an elder mage. Before he even knew it, however, his mouth opened on it's own accord and his mind went on autopilot. "Still, should you really be erasing people's memories against their will?!" He stiffened when Gandolfini whipped around to face him.

"She's called a problem student for a reason...she' been know to aid the criminal Evangeline upon occasion and that cannot be taken lightly." Negi and Takane tensed up at the older mage's words as they exchanged a quick glance with each other that nobody else caught. Gandolfini obviously wasn't on good terms with the vampiress and if he knew about Negi's close relation with her then Chao wouldn't be the only one in trouble. Negi, however, held a deep respect for his master and he found himself talking again without realizing it.

"Wait! Evangeline isn't that bad a-"

"Negi-sensei!" Takane cut him off before he could speak any further on the matter. "It's been rumored that a number of students in your class know of your magical ability." She raised an eyebrow to emphasize her point. "Shouldn't you be more worried about that?" The blonde magistress simply shut Negi down with her words and he could only watch as Gandolfini ordered the shadow puppets to take Chao along with them. He would've gotten far with Chao too if Negi didn't swallow his fears and talk on impulse again.

"You've no authority over the students of 3-A." Negi said darkly. Chachazero felt his dark aura pulse from within him as he spoke and inwardly started to grow excited. She loved it when her master spoke with such darkness. "I'm not about to stand by and allow you to pass judgment on them as criminals. Chao-san is my student!" Takane, Mei, Setsuna and Chao gasped at the gradual edge in the young magi's voice. "In this you will differ to me!"

_Such bravery this young man exhibits. For him to be so young he seems to understand the weight of responsibility...but should I trust him with such a problem student? _Gandolfini scratched his chin again and smiled before nodding to Negi. "Then I suppose that I'll trust have to trust you for today, Negi-kun."

"But be careful." Takane warned him, narrowing her eyes imperceptibly. "Should anything else happen you could risk being turned in to an ermine for taking responsibility over Chao." Her eyes betrayed her feelings when Negi saw something deep within them conveying more than just a warning. The shadow puppets released Chao and Gandolfini allowed the Chinese girl to take her place behind Negi again.

"I leave the field to you." Were the older mages last words to him before turning away to leave. He nodded to Takane and Mei and both girls followed him; Takane stealing a glance at Negi over her shoulder one last time before walking on ahead without a word of good-bye. She turned her head to regard Gandolfini as they walked on and asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes..." Gandolfini felt somewhat unsure of his own words. "...I actually don't know. That combat we just saw though- now that was impressive. He's "**_His_**" son, all right and he is growing in to a fine young man." He didn't understand why Takane blushed after hearing that but decided not to dwelve in to it.

Negi and the others turned away from the fleeting forms of Takane and the others with a sigh. For Negi this simply had to be the most hectic day he ever experienced and he wouldn't be too eager to experience it again if given the option. Chao on the other hand couldn't possibly feel an happier or relieved. Negi had just stuck his neck out for her twice today and she was able to see a sample of his wondrous abilities. He truly was the legendary vampire that all would come to know and fear in the future and that only made her lust for his blood even stronger. She could feel her own fangs fighting to relieve themselves of their suppressed cravings.

"Now you've really saved me Negi-chan!" Chao cried out gratefully as she clasped her hands around his, her eyes wandering over his neck briefly. "I truly owe you my life!"

"I-It's nothing I wouldn't have done for anyone else...but what is the deal with them calling you a problem student and all?" Negi asked suspiciously. "They're holding me responsible for this, you know?"

"It's a secret!" Chao told him with a mischievous smirk. She let go of his hands and placed her hands on her hips before asking, "By the way Negi-chan, don't you have other things on your mind?"

"Huh?" Negi absolutely had no idea what she was talking about.

"Let me solve a problem for you Negi-chan!" She smiled as she crossed her arms haughtily. "Think of it as a way to pay you back for what I owe you. The science of Chao Lingshen is at your command!"

* * *

" And this is what she gave you, master?" Chachazero asked curiously, examining the watch that Negi held in his hand.

"Well, I told her about my busy schedule and this is what she gave me. She told me this would solve all of my problems with time." Negi scratched the back of his head as he studied the watch as well. The style it was made with was rather old but after clicking it open he realized that it was no mere watch.

"It looks pretty dodgy to me." Chachazero said suspiciously. "...But I do sense a source of magic from it."

"Well she told me that she'd explain about how to use it later. You're kind of right though Chacha-chan. It's more magic than science, I'd assume." He noticed that his familiar was no longer listening to him and followed her line of sight to spot Takane leaning against a tree in the distance. She was looking straight back at him so he assumed that she was waiting for him.

"Why is she waiting for master anyway?" Chachazero mused darkly. "I could still give her beating for what happened earlier."

"She was just doing her job, Chacha-chan."

"But you laid down your arms and she used it to her advantage!"

"How was she to know that I wasn't tricking her?" Negi asked with a grin that made the sadistic puppet sigh.

"You're to kind for your own good master..." Chachazero mumbled before perking up. "But you were just awesome during the fight! You took out those shadow warriors like flies!"

"Thanks." Negi blushed. He came to a stop when he reached Takane and greeted her with a slight bow. The blonde magistress didn't turn away from him this time when he greeted her which made him feel quite curious as to why she behaved differently when they were at the plaza. "Hi Takane-san. Were you waiting for someone?"

Takane pushed off from her post against the tree with a nod and replied, "I'm sure you already know who I was waiting for Negi-sensei."

"M-me?"

"Yes, you. I just wanted to..." The girl's mind seemed to hit a dead end as she searched for the right words to say next. She had to avert her eyes away from Negi to avoid blushing like an idiot despite her best efforts not to. The young magi always found some way to make her blush, whether it be a simple smile or smirk or even the way he spoke to her. It was just so confusing to her that he had such an impact on her thoughts. "...I wanted to apologize for how I treated you earlier."

"What do you mean?" Negi asked, making Chachazero want to clarify what the girl meant herself. She couldn't believe that Takane's distrust toward him earlier had slipped his mind! They were practically talking about it seconds ago!

"I'm referring to our little face off in the plaza." Takane started to fidget with her hands behind her back as she unnoticably began to draw invisible circles on the floor with her left foot. "I treated you like another enemy even though you let down your guard when you saw me. I-I almost shot you with my wand and you still did nothing to harm me, yet despite all that I still did not trust you." She offered Negi a bow of respect before saying softly, "I really must apologize."

"It's alright Takane-san!" Negi assured her with a smile that melted her instantly. The tightness in her face loosened up and she returned the smile with a genuine smile of her own. She was starting to feel almost as comfortable with Negi as she was with Mei. She could actually picture herself having a very close bond with the young man and maybe-

_NOOOO! Bad Takane! Why do I always feel so flustered around him for?! _She shook her head to force away her thoughts of distress and looked away from Negi again to hide the rosy hue on her cheeks. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to talk some more and sighed when she realized how hard it was going to be for her brain to register everything. "I'd also like to ask you if you would join me for dinner tonight." Chachazero almost lost her balance on Negi's shoulder at the blonde magistress' words. Was this girl really expecting her master to say yes after all the things he'd been through today?!

"You and master just went out or lunch yesterday, didn't you?" Chachazero felt the need to express her displeasure. Takane glared at the puppet for her rude interruption but decided to ignore her anyway. It wasn't like the familiar could affect Negi's decision anyway, right? Her thoughts weren't so reassuring, however, as she sensed the hesitation in Negi when he looked very unsure. Takane inwardly cursed the puppet!

"Please Negi-sensei. I'd feel terrible if I didn't make it up to you. Besides, our lunch wasn't much of a friendly meeting and I intend to make up for that as well with dinner." The magistress decided to incorporate another variable in order to ensure Negi's comfort. "Mei will be coming as well. It wouldn't be fair to leave her at Dorm Hall."

Negi took some time to consider her offer. This would be a great way to finally get closer to Takane, however, Evangeline behaved oddly after he returned from his lunch with her before so how would it affect his relationship with the vampiress if he went out to dinner with the blonde magistress? Negi didn't catch on to much when it came to matters of the heart but he did notice that there was a change in Evangeline's demeanor whenever he didn't take the time to keep her some company.

_Even though that's true, I'll have plenty of time to spend with Eva-san anytime. I hardly hang out with Takane...we've just met. _Negi concluded that it would be rude to pass up this chance and answered, "I'll come. Is there any way you would like me to dress?"

"Not really..." Takane's eyes took on a mischievous gleam when something came to mind. "It would be nice if you came as an adult though. It wouldn't arouse as much suspicion."

"A-alright." Negi replied.

"Excellent." Takane purred, catching Negi off guard. The girl saw him blush and grinned. "I'll meet you near the front gate of the campus at six o' clock then. Please don't be late like last time." With those final words she bided him farewell and departed, leaving Negi to watch her fleeting form as his mind slowly registered the fact that he was tricked in to accepting some sort of invitation to a night out...

**_------------------------------------------_**

**_Evangeline's Residence..._**

**_------------------------------------------_**

The house was quiet as Evangeline sat outside in the courtyard with a nice warm pack of blood in hand; her lips wrapped around the straw as she sipped generously, savoring every drop. Of course, it wasn't nearly as good as Negi's life essence but it did well to quell her thirst. Every few minutes the vampiress could be seen with a grin on her face as she recalled the events of what happened at the World Tree Plaza. Her Negi; her apprentice stood up against a horde of shadow puppets and decimated them with the spells she taught him. Evangeline wouldn't shower him with praise when he came back home because she knew it would just get to his head but she figured it would be good enough to treat him a little nicer. Maybe she could even offer him a massage to relieve his tension, somewhat.

"He keeps this up and he'll probably even reach my level..."Her eyes rolled to the side as she grinned. "Maybe." It was going to take Negi a very long time before he even reached a fourth of her abilities. She had many years to practice and she faced many adversaries along the way that Negi could only dream about. She may have been living the leisure life now on Mahora campus, even if it was against her will but before she met Nagi her life was an escape from town after town and a plunge from duel to duel. Sometimes she even faced hordes of enemies all at once and received challenges from vampires from clans that ruled over the lesser clans.

"I wonder if he'll follow a similar path when he leaves Mahora. As soon as word gets out that he's my underling I'm sure my old enemies will be dying to test his ability." Evangeline took another sip from her blood pack and turned her attention to one of the second floor windows when Chachamaru opened it to flap the covers of Negi's futon. The vampiress raised an eyebrow and inquired, "What are you doing Chachamaru?"

The android regarded her mistress when she heard her voice and answered, "I am cleaning Negi-kun's room. After a hard day I am sure he would be pleased at the sight of a prepared futon." Chachamaru gathered the cover in to her arms when she was done getting the dust off of it and pulled back in to the room. While she was out of Evangeline's eye sight she clutched the covers to her chest and nuzzled it warmly. These were the covers of one who was most precious to her and she was tempted to keep it for herself and give Negi another one in it's place.

"Perhaps I should prepare Negi-kun's favorite dish for dinner." Chachamaru mused as she started tidying up. She was still when the door bell rang through the house and she laid down the futon cover gently before taking her leave of the room to open the door. Being that most people never bothered to come to the residence she was sure that Negi was the one behind the door. Unfortunately so would her counterpart, Chachazero. When she reached the door she opened it with a bow and greeted, "Good afternoon Negi-kun."

"Hey, Chachamaru-san!" Negi returned the greeting as he entered.

"It's been a long day hasn't it master?" Chachazero remarked mischievously.

"It sure has." Negi replied with a sigh. "And I still can't settle down yet." Chachamaru heard him and cocked her head to the side curiously.

"What do you mean Negi-kun?" Chachamaru asked. "What other matters must you attend to?"

"Takane-san wants me to have dinner with her and Mei." Negi replied causing the android to bow her head slightly. That meant he wasn't going to stay and eat whatever she was going to prepare for him. For some reason she felt a dull feeling in her chest. It seemed that his words had a negative impact on her gear's working efficiency. "Well, I have to take a shower and go get changed." Negi said before taking the stairs to the second floor. When he entered the hall, Evangeline came back in to the house from the courtyard taking off her shades.

"Who was at the door?" Evangeline asked.

"It was Negi-kun." Chachamaru replied dejectedly. Evangeline sensed something somewhat down beat about the way she answered and asked, "Well, what's going on? He didn't even seek me out to greet me."

"It would appear that Negi-kun is expected somewhere else soon so he has gone to shower and change."

"Somewhere else? Was he specific about where he was expected to go?"

"No."

"I see." Evangeline said, narrowing her eyes darkly. She nodded and ascended the stairs to the second floor. How rude for Negi to arrive without greeting her and to top it off he was coming and going as he pleased without informing her about his plans. She was going to get to the bottom of this. When she poked her head in to his room there was none in sight with the exception of Chachazero who was sitting on the dresser, kicking her feet back and forth as she let her head sway side to side in boredom.

_Something tells me that if I ask her where boya is going I'll get a lie. I better just go to the source instead. _Evangeline thought as she turned away from Negi's doorway and entered her room to hear the sound of water flowing from her private bathroom. When she entered the bathroom she spotted Negi's clothed resting on the toilet seat, however, what really caught her interest was 'which' clothes they wore. It was the same clothes he wore whenever he decided to take on his older form.

"Hey boya!" Evangeline called him through the steam mist that rolled out from the shower chamber.

"Y-yes master?" came Negi's deep voice.

_Just as I thought. He is planning on going out as an older person. _The vampiress thought with a scowl. "Why the change boya?"

"What ever do you mean?" Negi asked innocently.

"You've taken one of those aging pills. I know you wouldn't do that just to amuse me." Evangeline said as she pressed a hand against the shower chamber door. The young man flinched when he saw her imprint against the door and his eyes darted to the handle in fear that she might come in. The edge in her voice was telling him that she wasn't exactly pleased with his plans and that tone in her voice...was that jealousy? "So where are you going?"

Negi opened the water all the way so it would be harder for him to hear her. Evangeline growled in frustration when she saw through his ploy and yelled, "Hey! What are you trying to do?!"

"W-what?!" Negi asked stupidly. "I...I can't exactly hear you!"

"Stop playi-"

"WHAT?!"

"You hear m-"

"HUH?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"You asked for it!" Evangeline cried out as she gripped the handle for the shower door and yanked it open.

Chachamaru flinched downstairs in the living room when she heard a girlish scream. The android shook off the surprise and looked up to the second floor, cocking her head to the side quizzically. "Negi-kun?"

"Takane-san invited me out for dinner master!" Negi said nervously as he wrapped a towel around his waist. He snatched his clothes up from the toilet seat when he realized Evangeline wasn't going to allow him to change in the bathroom and walked to his room with the chibi-vampire following behind him.

"You mean that blonde girl?" Evangeline asked.

"Yeah."

"But why would you go on and have dinner with her? She isn't exactly on our side you know."

"There's nothing wrong with her. She's actually a nice girl." Negi retorted.

"I've already met with her. She isn't exactly all that nice." Evangeline followed him in to his room and went on as he dried his hair with a smaller towel. "I told you before that my reputation doesn't sit well with most mages. Ms. Goodman works for Gandolfini and I'm sure you've noticed his animosity towards me."

"But master-"

"Not "buts" boya and I could've sworn we discussed that you could call me Eva!" The tiny vampire cut him off.

"I just don't see what's wrong with this!" Negi yelled back at her. Evangeline was taken aback by the way he talked back to her and felt a deep boiling anger rising in her but squashed it quickly. Normally she would have punished someone for speaking to her that way but she slowly came to grasp the realization that Negi wasn't just 'anybody' to her. She actually had a soft side for the young man and it was distorting her usual way of going about things.

"...To hell with it then!" Evangeline scowled as she turned away from him. "Go ahead and do whatever you want. I don't even know why I'm getting so worked up about this stupid mess anyway." Negi thought she would leave after that last exchange but she turned her head to regard him for a moment and said, "Don't even think of coming back home too late. We have training tonight."

"Master?" Negi felt the need to apologize but she ignored him and left. "E-Eva!" He called out to her again but her only answer to him was her slowly receding footsteps. It wasn't until then that Negi realized, "Is she giving me the silent treatment?"

**_------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning to Takane and Mei..._**

**_------------------------------------------_**

Takane wore a knee length navy skirt accompanied by a centrilliun blue button-up blouse and a chiffon scarf loosely tied around her neck. On her feet she wore black flats and a tote hanging from her shoulder. Her underling, Mei wore jeans accompanied by a blouse with a sweater vest worn over and old fashion mary jane shoes. Both girls waited in front of the main gate for the campus for Negi to show up but five minutes had passed by and the magi was nowhere in sight. This only served to irritate Takane as she specifically remembered telling Negi not to have her waiting.

"Where is Negi-sensei?" Mei asked curiously. "You told him to meet us here right?"

"This is just like last time." The blonde magistress grumbled, tapping her feet so hard that Mei could swear the stone under her would crack at any given moment. "That-"

"Hey!" Negi cut Takane off as he ran to her and Mei. He wore a black dress shirt accompanied by slacks of the same color. The blonde magistress noticed that the first three top buttons weren't done and found herself trying to peek at his well toned chest. Whatever Negi was taking sure was working for him. "I'm sooo sorry!" He apologized with a quick bow that assured Mei that this man was indeed, Negi Springfield. "Master kind of held me up back there."

"Yep!" Chachazero agreed with a nod.

"Someone is always holding you up." Takane argued as though this was an everyday thing for Negi. The fact that he allowed his ever present familiar to tag along didn't make her feel any better. She didn't understand why he wouldn't just leave her home when he goes out.

"Did I take very long Takane-san?" Negi asked sheepishly.

"Well...not really." Takane admitted.

"Oh, good." Negi sighed in relief before feeling a tug at is shirt. He lowered his gaze slightly to regard Mei and returned her smile with one of his own. From the looks of it Mei had already become fond of him from the last time they met in the market. "Hello Mei-san."

"Hi, Negi-sensei." Mei greeted him back timidly. She ran her hand down his arm briefly, making Takane's eye twitch for a moment and asked, "How did you do this to yourself? This is so amazing!"

"Oh, I just picked up a magic item from the MahoNET." Negi replied with a grin. He may have been in an older body but he was still a younger person on the inside and him and Mei were just about the same age. Naturally he would take an interest in her. "I can let you try one if you want!" Negi offered much to Mei's excitement.

Takane and Chachazero almost freaked at his words...

"No, no, no!" Takane jumped in between them. "Mei isn't going to try out any of those!"

"B-but why?!" Mei protested. "They aren't drugs or anything!"

"It doesn't matter!" Takane hissed at her like an older sister would a younger sibling. She turned to Negi with a glare that made the young man lean back. "I don't want her getting involved with that type of magic. Who knows how it'll influence her."

"B-but they're sold on the net! What's the harm?"

"Let's just get on with the da-" Takane paused before she could finish. "I mean, our dinner."

Ako, Madoka, Sakurako, and Misa came out of one of the name brand clothing stores on the streets of Mahora city with bags of clothes; chatting to each to her light heartedly. They were excited about the rock concert and decided that it would be a good idea to shop. They didn't want to present themselves with clothes others had already seen them in and they needed an excuse to shop anyway.

"You should where that nice blouse you bought for Nagi." Madoka teased Ako with a nudge on the arm. Her friend blushed at her words and bowed her head shyly. She was still trying to get over the fear that she'd make a fool of herself in front of the magi. Sadly, despite her good looks and nature she was cursed with a terrible case of shyness that always managed to consume her at the most awkward moments. In short, Ako had terrible memories when it came to dating someone and the last thing she wanted to do was add on to those memories with Negi.

"I don't know if I still have the courage to face him." Ako said in a weak whisper. "Oh gawd! I'm going to be so nervous now that I know he'll be watching me play!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Sakurako placed a hand on her should reassuringly. "This isn't going to be a problem for you at all! Believe me!" A nervous expression washed over her face as she continued, "Besides, we seriously don't need any negative feedback from the audience just because of one measly guy right? I mean, how cute could this guy possibly be?"

"I-I think you're about to find out!" Madoka whispered to the other girls as she pointed at a couple in the distance. Ako gasped when she saw who it was and the other girls were just confused and envious at the blonde girl who accompanied the tall red-head young man.

"Nagi-san!" Ako squeaked in shock. "W-who is that woman with him?! He d-doesn't have a girlfriend already, does he?!"

"Calm down Ako!" Misa tried to calm the girl down but she was beginning to bordering on hysterical. The very sight of Negi with another girl was driving her over the edge. She didn't understand why life had to be so cruel to her! The girl felt like evaporating in to thin air when Negi noticed the group of cheerleaders heading his way.

"Hello Ako-san!" He greeted Ako in a pleasant voice that sent shivers down all the girl's spines. They knew Ako was totally smitten with the guy but they never expected her to find a guy this handsome. They had to admit, however, that he reminded them of someone they knew. Takane on the other hand wasn't in the mood to stop for idle chatter and tried to send Negi a few signals to get him moving quickly.

"G-good evening Nagi-san." Ako greeted him nervously as she made her way to the front of the group to meet him. "Y-you're looking really nice tonight." She inwardly felt like smacking herself across the head for starting out with a line like that. There was a slight edge in her voice as her eyes darted over to Takane every few seconds. She really started to feel the jealousy of seeing another girl around Negi.

"Thanks Ako-san." Negi thanked her cheerfully. "You all just got back from shopping?"

"Y-yeah!" Misa answered in Ako's place as she took her place beside the nervous girl to get a good look at the Negi. If Ako had not already asked the young man out she wouldn't have given him a second thought.

"And...who is this?" Ako asked Negi hesitantly, not wanting her voice to betray her feelings. _Oh please don't tell me that you're going out with this girl! I wouldn't be surprised if you were though...she's so pretty and I'm so...common looking._

"Oh her?" Negi asked obliviously as he gestured to Takane.

_I HAVE A NAME! _The blonde magistress thought in irritation as he left eye twitched ever so slighlty.

"She's just a friend of mine." Negi answered much to Ako's immense relief. "And this young lady", He paused for a moment to reveal Mei who had been standing behind him for most of the meeting, "Is Mei, her sister."

"My name is Takane by the way." Takane finally said after realizing that he wasn't going to say her name. She flashed him another glare to put some effect in to her words and blushed when she realized how much of a reaction he was getting out of her. She spent most of her life around other girls since she attended an all girl academy herself and the thought of boys never really interested her until she met Negi of all people! "Nagi." She called to him.

"Yes Takane-san?" Negi asked, turning away from Ako and the others much to their disappointment. He saw the look on her face when he faced her and felt a shiver run down his spine. The only other girls who could ever do that to him were Asuna and Evangeline. "I-Is there something wrong?"

"I made some reservations at the restaurant we're going to eat at "Nagi". We don't want to be late." Takane said 'sweetly'.

"Yes ma'am!" Negi replied quickly before turning back to the girls. "Well, I'm sorry for holding all of you up!" He apologized as he massaged the back of his neck awkwardly despite the fact that they were the one who were actually holding him up. "I'll leave you alone now!" He laughed.

"Y-you weren't doing anything of the sort Nagi-san!" Ako assured him with a smile. "We'll meet again soon right?! I-I mean, you are still hanging around on campus right?"

"Of course!" Negi replied with a grin but he felt a strong tug on his arm and found himself being pulled away from them. Takane apparently got tired of waiting on him and decided to take matters in to her own hands. She was starting to wonder if he was even deserving of this dinner she planned for him. Then again she wondered why a simple sorry wouldn't have been enough. Surely he would have just accepted that, right? So why did she think of taking this extra step?!

All while she heard Negi biding the girl's farewell she ran her free hand down her face with a deep sigh. "What is going on with me?"

**_----------------------------------------_**

**_Turning away from the trio..._**

**_---------------------------------------_**

Chao stretched; her arms reaching up high as she stood on the tip of her toes. She was starting to feel rather tired after all of the commotion from earlier in the day. It was a good thing that she got Negi involved when she did because without his help her entire set up for the festival would have been in vain and she would have to blow her cover to save herself making things that much harder to accomplish. Although she was relieved there was a slight twinge of frustration running through her nerves. She was so close to Negi; she had so many chances to have him in the palm of her hands and that damn Setsuna and Kotaro were in the way.

"I could have feigned a little faintness and had him hold me in his arms. Then all I'd have to do is rest my head against his shoulder and bite him when he least expected it." Chao felt her fangs tingle as if they were acknowledging her logic. "...But then there would be the problem of him taking it the wrong way. I can't just tell him I was a little thirsty and everything will be alright. He might even inform Evangeline if he ever found out..." Chao started to pace around in her room as she thought up of a few scenarios. "I can always have him knocked out while I take his blood. Then I'll be enriched with our clan's power and be able to carry out my plans with no one around to stop me."

There was a knock at her door and the Chinese girl stop her ranting to go check who was there. "Yeah?" She asked as she opened the door slightly just in case it was just some random student with complaints about why she closed the restaurant so early. She's usually open until around eleven at night but she needed so time to herself with her thoughts.

"It's me." Mana informed her, pulling down her cloak so Chao could get a good look at her face. It was necessary to be concealed in such a way because the security mages were always sure to be monitoring who came to visit the 'problem student'. The last thing they needed were for other students to be assisting Chao in her suspicious activities.

"Come in." Chao told her as she allowed her to enter before shutting the door behind her. Mana took a seat at the circular table near the kitchen where Chao prepared the dishes and took off her cloak.

"I heard from Hakase about the commotion from this afternoon." Mana said monotonously. "I'm amazed you were able to get yourself out of trouble once again. I was sure that Gandolfini would have taken you in this time."

"Well I happened to have a friend in a high place." Chao said with a grin as she took a seat at the table across from Mana. "If you want a drink you know where to get it."

"No. I don't intend to stay that long." Mana said with a casual wave of her hand. "I've been hired by the headmaster to go on watch duty for the festival. Will this affect any of your plans?"

"No, not at all. In fact this might help us."

"Will it?" Mana mused, raising an eyebrow. The gun for hire didn't expound any more on the subject, however, and went on for what really interested her. "This friend in a high place...who was it?"

"Negi-chan, of course." Chao answered mischievously before explaining what transpired after one of the magi agents spotted her spy droid.

"It figures." Mana said with a sigh. "It would be just like sensei to put himself in harms way to defend one of his students." _Negi-sensei...I must admit that you have a knack for impressing me. To stand up against Gandolfini for Chao is pretty risky; no doubt that you've only managed to get yourself involved with something complicated._

"That sigh...you wouldn't be feeling sorry would you?" Chao asked Mana.

"Sorry? About what?"

"About Negi being used."

"Not at all." Mana assured her in her usual 'liquid cool' voice. "It's just that Negi-sensei is impressing me a little more everyday. You can't help but admire the type of person he is."

"I'm proud to be a descendant." Chao declared.

"You better be." Mana said, standing up from her seat before grabbing her cloak. "I understand that Negi-sensei is a very vital part of your schemes. My only hope is that you won't hurt him in any way."

"Are you actually showing some concern? I'm paying you so ignore that little voice in the back of your mind whenever you're under my payroll." Chao said suspiciously as she followed Mana to the door. The gun for hire threw her a look before she opened the door to leave and merely quipped, "Sure."

Chao shut the door behind Mana when she was outside and heard a quick breeze of wind confirming that she was gone. The Chinese girl rested her back against the door with a frown on her face and bowed her head.

"...I won't hurt him...unless I have to."

**_-----------------------------------------_**

**_Back to Negi and the girls..._**

**_-----------------------------------------_**

Takane was not a person to get jealous or miffed simply because someone wouldn't talk to her. In fact she didn't really mind being ignored; it saved her a lot of trouble whenever it came to personal problems and perhaps that was the main reason she was so anti-social. It was also one of the reasons that she didn't have many friends to begin with. The only person she ever really felt free talking to was Mei and that was only because she was her underling. Now as it was stated before, Takane wasn't one to get jealous simply because someone wouldn't talk to her, however, in this case when she was sitting at a table with Negi and he was focusing most of his attention on Mei she found it hard to voice her feelings of neglectment.

"So are you an only child Mei-san?" Negi asked curiously.

"No, I actually have an older half-sister." Mei replied perkily. The redhead didn't really see Negi as an older person despite his older appearance at the present moment so she was very comfortable with talking to him. This only served to make Takane feel left out as Negi had neglected to show an interest in her life.

"Is she involved in magic as well?"

"Actually she isn't. She's living a normal life in Hinata Inn." Mei found some irony in saying that since Narusegawa's life was anything but normal with the crowd she hung around with. "Well...normal by our standards anyway." She giggled infectiously, causing Negi to join along with her despite the fact he had no idea what she meant by her words.

_Look at them...laughing together as though they've know each other for years. _Takane thought sourly as she balled her fists on her lap under the table where no one could see them. _I'm the one who reserved this table for us! He should be talking to me! He should be paying attention to-GAWD! Why am I getting so worked up about this!? _Unbeknownst to the young woman, Negi sensed her discomfort and turned to regard her innocently.

"Um, Takane-san? Are you alright?" Negi asked taking not of the visible twitch in her grin. It was beginning to bother him to say the least.

"Not at all, Negi-sensei." Takane assured him unconvincingly.

"Ooooookay." Negi said after some consideration of her words. He kind of picked up on the reason for her behavior and gave himself a mental slap. "Er, so have you decided what you want to order yet?!"

"M-me?!" Takane didn't expect him to pick up right away.

"Yeah."

"Well, not yet." Takane replied.

"Oh...okay." Negi said rather oddly as he turned his attention to his menu. There was an awkward silence as both Takane and Negi decided on what to say next and Mei was beginning to become impatient with the long hiatus in her conversation with Negi. She was eager to know more about him instead of focusing the subject on herself but her "one-san" managed to kill her chances.

"So...you were pretty good out there." Negi suddenly commented out of the blue. Mei and Takane quirked an eyebrow in confusion and Negi cleared his throat before clarifying for them, "At the plaza this afternoon, I mean."

"O-oh!" That was the last thing she expected to talk about. "Really? You think so?"

"Those shadow apparitions kept me on my toes for a while." Negi grinned, "And I probably would've been out like a light if you managed to get me with the point blank spell of yours." His words made Takane blush despite the nature of the subject.

"Thank you...you weren't so bad yourself." Takane said sheepishly. "For a second there we thought we were dealing with a high-class dark wizard."

"Seriously?" Negi scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I had no idea I made such a spectacle."

"Oh no, no. It was nothing like that." Takane told him. "We sensed the power but you managed to blend it along with the attractions somehow. It was fairly difficult to sense you in the crowd as you made your way towards me as well."

"I-I stood my ground to!" Mei suddenly blurted out. "That dog guy had some trouble with me."

"You mean Kotaro-kun?" Negi asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah." Mei said proudly.

"I'v taught her well." Takane threw in, making Mei narrow her eyes in annoyance. It was just like the blonde magistress to take credit for her success.

"It still doesn't change that fact that you were willing to hurt master despite that fact he let down his guard for you." Chachazero finally felt the need to say. It was bothering her how her master didn't even attempt to berate the girl for her dishonest act. Negi immediately freaked when some of the other people eating in nearby tables stole glances at them when his familiar spoke.

"Whoa. Don't blow our cover Chacha-chan." Negi whispered to the puppet much to her dismay.

"But master..." She whined before staying quiet.

"Sorry about that Takane-san." Negi apologized before looking to Chachazero.

"That's my girl." Negi cooed, patting her on the head affectionately. The puppet returned his comforting pat with a nuzzle against the neck. Truly, Negi brought out an unseen side from the sadistic puppet.

"That's so cute." Mei squealed. "It's hard to see such a connection between mages and their familiars these days."

"Heh, you think so?"

Takane found herself, once again being ignored when Mei struck up some more conversation...

**_------------------------------------------_**

**_After the dinner..._**

**_------------------------------------------_**

"Thanks for tonight!" Negi thanked Takane and Mei with a slight bow. "It was a pleasure having dinner with the both of you."

"The pleasure was all ours." Takane insisted.

"We really need to do this again sometime!" Mei practically pleaded. "You'll do it again won't you Negi-kun?"

"Of course." Negi said with a chuckle before walking away from them with a wave. "I guess I'll see you two tomorrow then."

"That we will." Takane nodded with a slight rosy hue upon her cheeks. She turned away from Negi to regard Mei and said, "Lets go now Mei."

"Yes onesan but..." Mei turned back to look at Negi only to find him gone. She could have sworn that he was walking down that path a few seconds ago and he wasn't even going that fast. "Um...onesan?" The girl asked Takane.

"Yeah Mei?"

"Where's Negi?"

"What do you mean where's Negi?" Takane asked, rolling her eyes. "He's right ther..." Takane found herself looking at an empty path. "W-wait a second! Where did he go?!"

The young man in particular descended when he saw Evangeline's residence come in to view and landed on the porch lightly. He inwardly took note of how much better his landings were getting since before and couldn't help but feel proud of himself. Oddly enough he didn't see any light from inside the house so he figured Evangeline had gone to sleep and Chachamaru went on standby mode in her own room. "That's pretty weird." Negi said, quirking an eyebrow as he reached in to his pocket for the keys.

"Eva-san is usually up by this time." Chachazero said with a shake of her head. "She could be plotting some trap."

"D-don't say things like that Chacha-chan!" Negi told the puppet with a shiver. He slowly opened the door with a dull click and entered the house quietly before closing the door behind him in a similar fashion. So far so good. He crept across the dark living room on the tip of his toes to cover more ground and flinched when he heard the dark greeting of a certain vampiress from the dark.

"Welcome home boya." Evangeline's voice rang out to him from the dark before the lights suddenly turned on to reveal her on the couch in her pajamas. She got up to approach him much to his increasing fear and placed her hands on her hips with a grin. "You seem surprised to see me."

"I-I am." Negi admitted.

"You came pretty late." Evangeline said as she glanced at the father clock against the wall. "It's twenty minutes to eleven and you left around six, I believe." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she took a step towards him, forcing him to take a step back. "So what did you do with her?"

"Um..well-"

"Lets not rush it." Evangeline cut him off as she motioned for the couch. "Have a drink with me while we talk." Negi realized that she had two glasses filled with that 'oh-so familiar' crimson substance that haunted his dreams, Blood. He took a seat on the couch far away from her and accepted the glass she held out to him reluctantly.

"Why are you sitting so far away?"

"No reason."

"Don't be afraid boya. I won't bite." Evangeline teased as she patted the spot near her. After taking some time to consider it he shuffled over a bit near her and stared back at her without another word. The vampiress of course found this rather boring and decided to break the silence. "Well are we just going to stare at each other?"

"O-of course not." Negi replied nervously.

"Then tell me about your little outing." Evangeline's eyes took on a frightening twinkle. "Did you have fun?"

"Y-yes. I did actually." Negi replied after taking a shy sip from his glass. "Takane brought Mei and we had dinner at some classy restaurant in Mahora city."

"So you left the campus? How interesting."

"Er...why?"

"No reason." Evangeline said off-handedly. "So tell me how your relationship with Ms. Goodman is progressing. I've noticed that you two are making a habit of meeting with each other."

"It's really not that serious Eva!" Negi assured her like some guy trying to convince his girlfriend that he was being faithful to her. "Me and her are just friends."

"Friends? How sweet!" Evangeline cried out sarcastically. The venom was practically dripping from her voice once she spoke. She took a long swig of her drink and licked the blood that dripped from her lips when she was done with it. "You know, I was actually planning on having a special dinner prepared for you when you got back from the World Tree plaza but it looks like Ms. Goodman took care of it for me."

"What do you mean? You were at the plaza when it all happened?!" Negi asked in surprise.

"Yeah." She answered dully before taking another sip of her drink. "And you actually impressed me with your control over the dark arts. It was pretty good for a beginner to say the least, however, I question your decision about utilizing them in combat."

"I just wanted to see for myself how I'd be able to handle it in actually combat." Negi replied sheepishly. "I'm already used to using light magic so it would've been easy to make up for error if I did something wrong. Heh, heh."

"...Idiot." Evangeline grumbled. Negi heard her and blinked a few times as something slowly became apparent to him. Ever since she found out about him and Takane she had been acting rather weird and he thought about it before but...could she actually be jealous? Something in the back of his mind was screaming for him not to be so foolish as to ask such a question but at the same time another voice was practically cheering him on to pop the question. Negi studied Evangeline's childish expression fro a moment as he took a deep breath and asked...

"Are you jealous Eva?"

Evangeline blinked as her mind slowly processed what he had asked her...

"W-what the hell?" The chibi-vampire blurted out with a furious blush. "What the...what in the hell are you talking about?!" Evangeline set her cup down on the table hard and placed a hand upon her chest with disbelief plastered across her face. "Me? Jealous about what? You?!"

"W-well it was just a questio-"

"W-why would I be j-jealous about you, huh?" Evangeline stammered. Negi was shocked that those words were getting such a cute response from the vampiress. He had honestly never expected her to react in such a way but now he found that it was worth it. He edged back in his seat when she stood up and hovered over him; still blushing and started giving him light punches in the shoulder. "You think just because y-you're c-cute and all that bull crap that I'd be jealous that some other girl is-" Evangeline stopped in the middle of her sentence to scoff and went on, "Please! Don't flatter yourself boya! Your blood m-may be good but don't get so full of yourself!"

"I-It was just a simple question!" Negi cried out, unable to hold in his laughter as he soothed the shoulder Evangeline punched.

"W-what's so funny?! What are y-you laughing about?!" Evangeline was a red as a cherry at this point. "Y-you know what, I hate it when you act l-like a brat." The vampiress stormed away from him to the stairs and ascended them before spitting out, "Y-you're just like your stupid father!" Negi watched with wide eyes as he heard her tiny feet slap the wooden floor before hearing her door slam.

"Master...what was that about?" Chachazero asked feeling very lost.

"...You got me."

**_To Be Continued..._**


	15. Festival: Day One!

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Fifteen: The First Plunge_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

There was a beautiful moon out at night and it inspired a sense of romance and even dark intent. To be more specific it was a full moon out at night; a very welcoming sight to a certain vampiress as she stared out at the enormous lunar orb in the midst of darkness from a cliff side. She wandered away from her little camp with Nagi to be alone with her thoughts. They spent most of the evening sharing stories and humoring each other in whatever way they could. Nagi managed to send the chibi-vampire into a few giggle fits that she had not experienced in a long time. He actually made her feel accepted. He made her feel what little sense of humanity she kept clutched to her very soul. It was very hard to be convinced of having a simple shred of humanity after finding yourself bathed in the blood of another, however, Nagi made her feel as though she could be cleansed of that blood.

"Nagi Springfield." Evangeline whispered to the moon as the evening breeze caressed her body sweetly. Her hair flowed to the side, a few locks overshadowing her eyes. The very thought of the Thousand Master put her soul at peace and she was tempted to smile at her own growing feelings but she knew that something so precious wasn't meant for her. It wasn't so much that she doubted it but she didn't 'believe' that she could ever find peace and happiness. The very thought was so foreign to her but...could she just convince herself this one time that she could have it in her grasp? She turned away from the moon, regarding the camp site she was staying at with Nagi and willed herself to go back. She found herself getting rather nervous with each step she took towards the nearing camp and she feared that her knees would give out before she could even reach Negi's tent.

_This isn't like me! Why do I feel like I'm going to be sick?! _Evangeline thought curiously as she felt her stomach doing flips. She gradually started to find it hard to take proper breaths and leaned against a nearby tree to pace herself. She found her face heating up with a rosy hue coloring her cheeks and fought to shake off the sick feeling within her. This was the first time she had ever experienced this feeling! Her nails dug in to the bark of the tree as her fangs started to pulse and she found herself sweating as her breathing started to get even shallower. For the first time she felt as though she was about to cry from the helplessness that was beginning to consume her. "D-damn it!" She growled, pushing away from the tree she was leaning against to advance forward. Before long she found herself standing in front of Nagi's tent and her mind went completely blank. All the determination that she had when she was making her way to the tent had completely left her and all that was left was an awkward feeling.

"...Come on." Evangeline told herself as she narrowed her eyes at the slit of the tent that offered her passage inside. She could feel Nagi's presence behind it and her fangs began to pulse again. "Come one." She willed herself to enter the tent. and stood over her the object of her desire. He slept peacefully in his sleeping bag with his staff resting beside him; his hair feathered over his face. "Thousand Master..." Evangeline said with an odd glimmer in her eyes as her tongue passed over her lips. "You are mine." She lowered herself over his resting form; finding it hard to get nearer with every breath that seemed like sweet perfume upon her face. She almost reached her target when all of a sudden-

"AH!" Evangeline yelped when Nagi's eyes snapped open and he held her securely in his arms. "H-hey! I thought you were asleep!" She struggled to get out of his arms but came to a halt when he started to laugh.

"I was awake actually." Nagi said with a mischievous grin as he looked the chibi-vampire in the eyes. "And I heard everything you said."

"E-everything?!" Evangeline was suddenly as red as the very blood coursing through her veins. "You can't be serious!"

"And why not?" Nagi asked before letting go of her but she didn't make any attempt to move away from him. In fact she simply sunk in to her resting position and made herself comfortable on his stomach as she snuggled her head in to the warmth of his chest. At the very moment she was in pure blissful heaven and she wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world. Nagi found this very cute but he knew what lied behind the eyes of the tiny vampire and he had an idea of the life she had gone through before she met him. "What's wrong Eva?"

"What do you mean?" Evangeline asked.

"You came to my tent for a reason." Nagi said with warm smile. "Were you getting lonely?" He placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair playfully, getting a grin from her in response. "You didn't have some sort of nightmare did you?"

"Me have a nightmare?" Evangeline asked, suddenly becoming very serious. She averted her eyes breify as her mind came to a conclusion and said, "I embody nightmares." Her dark words were blown away completely when Nagi chuckled light heartedly.

"Come off of that will ya?" His smile simply dazzled her. His cheerful demeanor seemed to swallow up all of the depression and anger that she held inside. She just couldn't come up with anything to retort with. "Put your past aside instead of treading it. The world is so much better when you look for what is up ahead. Believe me."

_If anything I can only hope that you're up ahead waiting for me. _Evangeline thought, closing her eyes peacefully; something she hadn't been able to do in a while. As she embraced the warmth that Nagi was giving her she opened one eye and asked, "Are you bothered at all that I'm a vampire?"

"Why should I be bothered?" Nagi asked innocently.

"I could bite you."

"Would you?"

"...I'm tempted to."

"But I'm sure you wouldn't do it against my will would you?"

"I can't promise you anything." Evangeline smirked. "I am the bad guy here just in case it slipped your mind."

"Heh." Nagi held his finger over her face in a teasing gesture and pulled it back quickly when the vampiress tried to nibble at him playfully. "Why don't you get some sleep? It's getting pretty late now."

"Not for me."

"Whatever you say." Nagi started to remove her from him but to his surprise she protested and clutched his waist to keep herself clung to him tightly. Nagi inwardly sweat dropped when he realized he might have just gotten himself in to something very complicated. Perhaps he should have just left her alone after he saved her from falling off the cliff instead of inviting her to camp with him. Needless to say the vampiress had become totally smitten with him and that could cause some complications. "Eva-"

"Can I at least spend the night with you?" She pleaded as her eyes met with his. "I promise I'll be good just this once." She found her spirits failing her when he sighed but she was back in high spirits when he finally answered, "Alright Eva but just this once."

For once a genuine smile broke out on her face...

**_------------------------------------_**

**_Reality..._**

**_------------------------------------_**

"Nagi..." Evangeline mumbled in her sleep as a tear threatened to slip down her cheek. She tightened her hold around the source of warmth that had been beside her and buried her face in to it to take in a delicious scent that made her smile in her sleep despite the tear that rolled down her face. The vampiress could have stayed asleep for another few hours had Negi not been the source of warmth. His eyes snapped opened when he felt someone snuggle up against him and Chachazero did the same before looking to her master's side to see Evangeline. There were so many questions to ask right now like, "Why was she in Negi's futon?", or, "What was she mumbling about?"

Negi of course could not voice any of these questions so they were destined to be left unanswered. A deep fascination and fear consumed him as he turned his head to look at his master's adorable face. HE wasn't sure what to make of his current situation. For one, he wasn't sure how Evangeline managed to slip in to his bed without him noticing or why she was there in the first place but what scared him most was the thought her reaction when she woke up. What would she do to him when she found them so close to each other?!

_She has such easy access to my neck in this position_! Negi thought in panic as he suddenly became very much aware of the way her breath felt against his neck. He stiffened when she moaned again before snuggling up against him a little more and he starting praying to whatever deity that could hear him that he make it through the day alive. _Chachazero told me that she might end up in my room someday but this is totally beyond my expectations! Did she sleepwalk in to my room or something?!_

"Master Negi?" Chachazero whispered to him. "Do you want me to wake her up?"

"No, no." His last word ended in a squeak when Evangeline tightened her hold around him. Whatever she was dreaming about; apparently she was mimicking her actions in the real world as well. "God knows what might happen if we wake her up against her will. It looks like she may be dreaming...a good dream to be certain."

"And..." Chachazero asked, expecting more to his explanation.

"Let her enjoy it." Negi finished.

"At your cost?" The puppet asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the way the chibi-vampire was holding her master; That and the fact that this picture looked completely foreign to her. The last thing she would ever picture was Evangeline cuddling against Negi of all people! Why would she even think of sneaking in to her master's bed in the first place? "I don't like this at all." Chachazero groaned as she slipped herself out of Negi's arms. The puppet climbed down beside him and rested against him with a sigh.

"G-getting tighter." Negi managed to say when Evangeline's hold on him started to get rather uncomfortable. Luckily for him the door of his room opened at that very moment and Chachamaru stepped in sporting her usual maid uniform. The android stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the scene before her; her eyes wandering over the pair in bed before stopping on Chachazero who waved at her casually. A deep fear stirred in Negi when Chachamaru's eyes changed to a fearsome crimson color for a moment. The only time he ever saw that in a robot was when it was planning to assassinate someone...or perhaps that was just in the movies.

"Negi-kun..." Chachamaru's voice was as cold as liquid nitrogen.

...Maybe movies held some truth...

"Chachamaru-san...please don't look at me like that." Negi's voice wavered as the android took slow steps toward him. His eyes darted to Chachazero who did nothing but stare back at her counterpart and asked, "W-what's going on with her?!"

"...Maybe she's mad?" Chachazero suggested.

"Chachamaru? MAD?!" Negi's muscles all tightened when Chachamaru was close enough to touch him but he relaxed when Evangeline's hold around him relaxed and he heard her yawn. There was a deathly silence as Chachamaru and Negi turned their attention to Evangeline.

"What the..." Evangeline paused as she looked around. This place didn't look like her room. She could have sworn she slept in a bed as well and she clearly was resting in a futon. She also took note of the comforting feeling of warmth that was beside her. "...Boya?!" Evangeline questioned, regarding him curiously.

"Mistress..." Chachamaru's eyes regained their normal color and the android regarded her suspiciously. "You seem to be confused. Were you not aware that you were in Negi's futon?"

"No." Evangeline answered before smirking evilly as her arms slinked around Negi's shoulders. "If I knew I assure you that this futon wouldn't have made in to this morning. I was wondering why I was having such a good dream." She pressed herself against Negi for a moment to inhale the aroma from his neck and sighed. "I guess I'm snacking early today."

"W-what?!" Negi whimpered before feeling her fangs plunge in to his neck.

* * *

Chachamaru waited in the kitchen as she thought up of a way to apologize to Negi for almost losing it in his room earlier. She wasn't exactly sure what went on but as soon as she saw Negi in the arms of another person, especially someone so close her systems started to overdrive. The android could only hope that this was not going to affect her relationship with the young magi in any way. Right on cue Negi entered the kitchen with Chachazero perched on his head, rubbing his sore neck and flinched when he came face to face with her.

"Ch-Chachamaru-san!" Negi stammered.

"Please don't fear me!" Chachamaru blurted out unexpectedly as her hands were upon his shoulders before he could even react. "I am sorry for my behavior in your room earlier Negi-kun. I am not sure what came over me but I promise you that I will never allow it to happen again!" This was the first time Negi had ever heard her raise her voice so much. She was changing more than he ever expected her to.

"It's o-okay Chachamaru-san." Negi told her. "You kind of gave me a scare but you didn't do anything wrong. It's Eva who's beginning to unsettle me. Last night she kind of got annoyed with me and stormed up to her room and this morning she doesn't even flinch when she finds herself sleeping in my futon. I-I don't even remember hearing her come in or resting next to me last night!"

"Well she is a powerful vampire. She could appear anywhere without any of us noticing but...she did seem to be in a good mood today." Chachazero said with a hint of mischief laced in her words. "I'm just surprised that she didn't bite you while you were asleep."

"Perhaps the mistress was in a sleeping trance last night?" Chachamaru offered as an explanation. "It would explain how she didn't realize she was in your bed until she woke up."

"Mayb-" Negi went silent when the swinging door to the kitchen opened and Evangeline entered wearing a cute outfit that reminded the young magi of a doll. It was amazing how such an evil person could pull off something so cute. It made Negi wonder why Evangeline favored her choice of clothing in the first place. He expected her to have clothes that better suited her personality, however, now was not the time to play amateur psychiatrist. The chibi-vampire regarded everyone oddly when she noticed the looks they were giving her and asked, "What are you three looking at?"

"N-nothing Eva!" Negi told her as he tried to play it off with Chachamaru by following her to the kitchen counter where they pretended to be preoccupied with something. When Negi felt that his master had taken her eyes off of him he sighed and walked over to the fridge to pull out a blood pack. Inwardly he shook his head at how casually he had done so but shook the feeling away before asking, "Would you like a drink too Eva?"

"Why not?" Evangeline said with a grin as she took a seat at the table. She took note of how much more comfortable her underling was with calling her name so casually. She enjoyed it; it reminded her of the way Nagi used to address her. _I'm rarely fortunate enough to relive those wonderful memories in my dreams. It must have been boya's doing last night when he saw fit to distress me in his older form._

She turned her attention towards Negi when he took a seat beside her and placed a wine glass filled with her favorite drink of choice in front of her before popping a straw in to his own drink. The young magi took a sip, looking at her as he did and drew the straw away from his lips saying, "Despite the way we all woke up this morning I...want to apologize for what I did last night." His awkward apology made the vampiress grin as she nodded.

"Don't worry yourself over it boya. The only thing I ask from you is not to share with anyone what transpired before breakfast." She drank from her glass and lowered it from her mouth before adding on 'sweetly', "Do we have and understanding here sensei?"

"Y-yes Eva!" Negi nodded quickly. He saw an odd expression come over the chibi-vampire's face and quirked an eyebrow curiously. "Er, is something the matter Eva?"

"Yeah...I don't like what you're wearing." Evangeline said bluntly before turning an eye upon Chachazero as well, "You too. I have some clothes waiting for you two upstairs for the festival. I'm sure you'll see that it fits my tastes."

"B-but this is my favorite suit!" Negi protested foolishly. He cowered in his seat when Evangeline glared at him.

"Are you disobeying your master?" She asked with a fearsome smirk as she flexed her fingers. Negi knew she only did that whenever she was about to deliver some severe punishment and he definitely didn't want any of that!

"I would never disobey my master!" Negi shot out of his seat quickly and bowed to her before making his way out of the kitchen with Chachazero. The vampiress chuckled in amusedly when she saw the young magi walk out so quickly and rested her chin in one hand. Even though she was going a little easier on him she still wasn't going to allow him to disobey her so freely. She still was his master after all.

"What will you do for the day mistress?" Chachamaru asked Evangeline as she prepared her plate.

"I really don't know yet." Evangeline answered in a bored fashion. "I'll probably just go out to see some of the shows before the tournament preliminaries. Boya is going to be busy most of the day with his hectic schedule so he's out of my hands."

"I see." Chachamaru mused with a slight nod as she approached the table with her mistress's breakfast.

"And you?" Evangeline asked curiously.

"I must accompany Hakase-san before the preliminaries." Chachamaru set Evangeline's breakfast in front of her with a bow and went on, "We are to meet with Chao-san to prepare for the events of the tournament tomorrow."

"I see." The vampiress mused suspiciously. Evangeline wasn't all in the dark about Chao Lingshen's activities. The Chinese girl practically helped her on some occasions with her own plans so she knew what the problem student was capable of. She also knew the sort of relationship Chachamaru had with Hakase and Chao. They were her mothers in a sense so she wouldn't do anything to disobey them. _I can tell that these festival days are going to provide me with enough entertainment to make up for my boring years here. It doesn't really concern me anyway so I'll just sit back and watch the show._

"E-Eva!" Negi's voice suddenly rang as he entered the kitchen wearing the clothes that the vampiress had picked out for him. He wore a black button up shirt accompanied by some black pants, which were held up by a black sash. If he had his mage cloak on he would have become a true vision of Nagi. Well...a younger version anyway. "This is nice and all but...how did you know my size in clothing anyway?!"

"I went through you clothing." Evangeline answered rather casually before adding on with a smirk, "It looks good on you."

"Th-thanks." Negi blushed.

"Look at me master Negi!" Chachazero managed to push the kitchen door and come in wearing a black hat and a sailor suit with bat wings sprouting out from her back. Negi inwardly sighed when he saw her sporting her blades at her sides. She looked very cute but the blades turned that image in to something dangerous. He knew, however, that taking her blades away from her would make her somewhat depressed so he didn't say anything about it.

"You look cute Chacha-chan. " Negi said warmly as he patted her on the head. He turned to Chachamaru when he heard her mutter something and asked, "What was that Chachamaru-san?"

"I said nothing Negi-kun." Chachamaru assured him as she prepared his plate of food. She turned to face him with his plate in one hand, gesturing to the table with the other. "Why don't you have a seat and eat the breakfast I've prepared for you?" Had Negi really paid attention to the way she spoke and her body language he would have caught the waver in her usually smooth voice and even the way her hand twitched. "It is your favorite dish."

"Thanks Chachamaru-san!"

"...I would appreciate it if you address me without the honorific, Negi-kun." The android suddenly said immediately after he spoke. "Chachamaru is just fine."

"O-okay."

_Yes...these next few days are going to be interesting. _Evangeline thought as she took another drink from her glass. Her eyes wandered over to Negi as he took a seat beside her again. She had to admit that she chose a fine outfit for him.

**_---------------------------------------_**

**_Mahora Festival: Day One..._**

**_---------------------------------------_**

The sun was shining up high in the clear blue skies and the colorful exhaust of smoke that the flight team painted the sky with the simply breath taking! Confetti showered the floor as the students danced around in joy of the first day of the festival and the streets and sidewalks were crowded with excited viewers as the Mahora Campus parade marched along with balloons of large frightening Pumpkin heads and adorable kittens. The technical guilds flaunted their enormous mechs and mechanized monstrosities and the fashion and cosplay club members marched along with the other band members in their costumes or waved at the cheering students on the floats passing floats.

Sorority members all banded together and astonished students with their synchronized dance routines; Members of the Nightmare circus entranced others with their acts and tricks and the drama members all did their parts in their own eye-catching performances. It was everything Negi ever expected and more. He simply didn't know what to do in the midst of all the exciting attractions. He also found it pretty hard to get through the crowds of students as well. He passed by a large crowd of students who were watching a performance by the Maho Rangers and did his best to avoid female students were advertising their attractions with papers in their hands.

"You seem to be at a loss of words master." Chachazero told him from her respective place on his shoulders.

"This is so amazing!" Negi cried out excitedly. "I'd no idea it was going to be this big!" The young teacher flinched when a gloved hand appeared on his shoulder. He turned around to find himself being stalked by the library trio already. Yue was the person whose hand was on his shoulder while Haruna and Nodoka stood side by side with smiles on their faces. They all wore matching black cloaks with bat like head ornaments.

"Hey guys!" Negi greeted them.

"There should be near four hundred thousand these next three days." Yue said around the straw in her mouth as she sipped from a purple carton of juice. "This is after all, the biggest attraction on the largest city scale campus around the entire world. That means we're talking about three days and nights of mass mayhem and rowdiness."

"Costume are okay on campus so it's just fun to watch too!" Haruna added on with a wink before catching an unsuspecting student to advertise the Haunted house. While Nodoka and Haruna were buys pestering some of the passing students Yue went on with Negi.

"This place is so alive now!" Negi remarked in awe.

"What gives this festival most of it's life is the nerdy know how of it's student body." Yue felt the texture of Negi's shirt between her fingers as she kept her hand on his shoulder and blushed for reasons only she knew. "You're looking rather nice today Negi. I've never seen you wear something like this before."

"Thanks Yue-san. You're right in saying that I don't usually wear things like this. Master picked it out for me."

"Master?" Yue asked sounding confused for a second before a look of realization washed over her face. "Oh, you mean Mcdowell. I almost forgot that you moved in with her! So how are you holding out living with her anyway?"

"I'm just fine." Negi lied.

"I'd expect you to be tired all the time. I mean, she does work you through training all the time doesn't she?" Yue asked with a small grin.

"Yeah...you could say that."

"By the way, don't forget about your little appointment with Nodoka." Yue reminded him.

"Heh, how could I ever forget?" Negi told her with a warm smile that made her blush lightly. He turned around to walk away just in time for Haruna to see him about to be crushed by a mechanized Tyrannosaurus.

"WHOA, NEGI!" Haruna reached out and pulled him back by the shirt collar just in time to save him. The young magi could only watch with wide eyes as the foot stomped on by and sighed in relief. "You have to watch out sensei. It's crazy around here."

"T-tell me about it." Negi stammered while Chachazero giggled insanely.

"That was sooooo awesome!" The puppet chirped excitedly.

* * *

**_The Haunted House..._**

"This place actually looks a little different from the last time I came here." Negi told Chachazero as he walked through the foggy hallway that followed the entrance to the attraction that the class of 3-A set up. Kaede stood at the entrance with a deep hood that made it quite hard to make out her face, however, it was easy to tell when she spoke. The only person that ever said "Nin, Nin" after her sentences was the ninja, after all. When he came to the end of the hall he met Ayaka, Makie and Akira standing beside three different doors with a rating board on each one.

"Welcome to the 3-A horror house." The three girls greeted him in unison. Ayaka wore a long white dress with frills while Makie sported a black kimono and Akira an old style school uniform similar to Sayo's. Ayaka caught Negi's attention with a beckoning wave of her hand as she said in the best chilling voice she could muster, "Over here Negi-sensei. Come here!"

Makie did the same, however, the face she assumed was quite frightful actually looked adorable and quite frankly silly. "Negi-kun! Negi-kun!"

"Er...okay..." Negi mumbled, massaging the back of his neck nervously. Ayaka looked rather fearsome with the odd expression on her face and Makie just disturbed him with the way she stared at him. Chachazero on the other hand wasn't buying any of the silly ways that both girls were trying to lure in her master with. In her opinion Evangeline would have been a perfect choice for this sort of situation for obvious reasons. The chibi-vampire could make any grown man wet himself, given the proper incentive. _Akira's door doesn't seem so bad. _The young magi thought foolishly as the quiet girl took a different method of luring others in by offering them a face of indifference. Almost as though she really didn't care if anyone picked her door.

"Um, I'll pick this one." Negi said with a nervous chuckle as he pointed at Akira's door. The two other girls nearly face faulted at his choice and did their best to have him reconsider. They knew what lied behind **_"THAT" _**door and the last thing they wanted was for their teacher to leave their attraction feeling traumatized.

"W-wait sensei!" Ayaka cried out quickly.

"Y-you're making a mistake!" Makie joined in but Akira had already lead him inside, allowing the door to slam shut behind him.

"This is your fault class rep!" Maki turned upon the blonde girl.

"You're the one who kept on making those disturbing noises!" Ayaka retorted back.

Negi looked around in confusion when they entered a dark hall that looked completely different from the other places he had come across on his way to the three paths. It was almost as though he entered a different building when he passed through the other door. The never dying mist was still rolling through the hall, however, and he could hear some strange giggling coming from the walls.

"This is amazing!" Negi exclaimed in wonder. "Are we really still in the same place? This hall is too wide to be just one of the passages."

"Chao-san says it has something to do with the technology she allowed us to borrow from her." Akira answered in her usual collected voice. "Sensei...your eyes are glowing brilliantly."

"O-oh really?" Negi asked in fear that she may have already suspected something. He was going to have to come up with an excuse quickly. "I, uh...got some cool contacts from...a stand on my way here." Negi answered quickly much to Chachazero's amusement. He decided to change the subject quickly so they wouldn't focus on his eyes any longer. "This place really is amazing though." He remarked but his wonder fizzled away when he foot stepped on something soft. It felt almost as though he stepped on a dead animal or plushy.

"Uh..." Negi's voice died in his throat when he lowered his gaze toward, "The H-Head master?! H-he's d-dead?!" He stumbled to the side in his overwhelming shock and bumped against something fleshy. He whipped around quickly in fear and cried out when he saw Ako and Natsumi slumped against the wall with sickles plunged deep within their heads. He felt some moisture on his back and ran the tip of his fingers over it to feel a sticky substance between them. "AHHH! B-blood!"

"Negi-sensei, calm down. "Akira tried to soothe him as she fought against her sudden urge to hold him close in her arms. The look on his face was too cute for her to bear. Like it or not, however, she was going to have to play her part in the 'haunting'. Negi flinched when she whipped around as though something had startled her.

"What?! What is it?!" Negi asked, ignoring Chachazero's gleeful cries at the horror that surrounded him. He heard her mutter something along the lines of, "This is so life like."

"I fear that we may have disturbed some of the evil spirits lurking these halls!" Akira said in a frightfully sepulchral matter. "If we don't leave quickly there's no telling what horrible curse may befall us!" She grabbed ahold of his hand and lead him on forward but there was a sudden snap and Negi bumped against her when she came to an abrupt halt.

"A-Akira-" She fell to the floor before he could say anymore and her head rolled away from her body. "O-oh my gawd!"

**_------------------------------------------------_**

**_We turn to Asuna and Konoka..._**

**_------------------------------------------------_**

"God I hate that darn nosferatu!" Asuna growled as she and Konoka walked away from a chance encounter with Evangeline. They happened to bump in to her as they were on their way to the haunted house. Yue and Haruna informed them that Negi was headed there after pestering them about going. "She's always got something bad to say. I swear she has such an unpleasant personality! I don't know how that squirt is able to put up with her!"

"Calm down Asuna-chan. Evangeline isn't that bad of a person." Konoka said as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "She saved us once before, remember?"

"Whatever." Asuna mumbled. "It's amazing that her personality hasn't rubbed off on Negi yet with the time he'd been living with her so far. She's so dark you'd figure it's infectious. It's about time he got away from that girl."

"Someone sounds like they're beginning to miss someone." Konoka teased with a grin.

"W-what do you mean?!" The redhead asked, caught off guard by her friend's words.

"You miss our Negi don't you?"

"M-me? Of course not!" Asuna stammered with a furious blush coloring her face. "That little brat is the last person I'd ever miss."

"You have to admit though." Konoka started off dreamily as she placed a hand on her cheek. "He's so handsome whenever he becomes an older person. I wouldn't have minded being in your place when you two went on that practice date."

"That jerk ditched me when we went on that date." Asuna retorted.

"Huh?" Konoka was side tracked by her choice of words.

"P-Practice date! I meant practice date!" Asuna looked for something to veer the subject away to. She caught sight of the rear entrance of the horror house in front of them and whipped out her finger to point her friend's attention toward it. "Look! We're here already!"

"But that's the back door isn't it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well...I guess not."

"O-Ojo-sama!" Setsuna called out to Konoka as she caught up with them. Konoka turned her head to regard the swordsman and smiled warmly. Setsuna could feel her own face heating up at the sight of her smiling. There was just something so pure and innocent about that way her ojo-sama smiled.

"Oh, hey Set-chan!" Konoka greeted her. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing! I saw you and Asuna-san walking up here so I figured I'd accompany the both of you." Setsuna replied. "You here to try out the horror house?" She questioned with a bit of trepidation in her voice. Konoka didn't seem like the type to react well towards the manner of things that the girls managed to come up with for their attraction.

"No. Yue and Haruna said that Negi came here so we wanted to meet up with him." Konoka answered causing Setsuna to sweat drop.

_Negi-kun...in the Haunted house? Somehow I don't feel very comfortable with him experiencing what the girls have to offer in there. I hope they don't shake him up too much. _Setsuna thought worriedly. She knew how powerful her precious teacher could be but she also knew he still had fear. Suddenly she felt a disturbing feeling in the pit of her stomach. "We should hurry on over there." Setsuna told Konoka and Asuna.

"Why?" Asuna asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Just trust me."

**_---------------------------------------------_**

**_Back to Negi and Chachazero..._**

**_---------------------------------------------_**

"Hey its Negi-kun!" Misa cried out happily once her and the others bursted forth from the windows...how they would fix it up for the next person would be an unsolved mystery...ahem. The other two girls who accompanied her gasped in joy as well and stepped in his path; their hands twitching in frightening anticipation.

"You're right. It is him!" Chizuru giggled in her usual bubbly tone of voice.

"Strip him girls!" Madoka grinned lecherously.

"You got it!" The two other girls chirped before going along with their work. Negi had no time to react as their hands lashed out at him and grabbed ahold of his shirt and jeans. They pulled playfully in an attempt to unsettle him more than he already was and managed to strip him of his jeans leaving him to a black pair of boxers with chibi-bats illustrated on them. Negi tried to dash away in fear only to find himself running in place when he stumbled across a conveyer belt.

"S-so fast!" Negi cried when Misa and Chizuru ran beside him on the conveyer belt. In a fit of desperation he threw himself forward and surprisingly passed through a hidden curtain that lead him out of the dark hall in to two orbs of flesh; Asuna's chest to be specific.

"N-negi, what're you d-doing?!" The redhead cried out before looking at his state of dress. "And half dressed too!" She rose up a hand to slap him into submission but Konoka snatched him away from her and held him protectively in her arms while Setsuna watched on from beside her with a frown.

"You look terrible Negi-kun." Konoka said soothingly as she stroked his head.

"He's shivering." Setsuna commented with a nod of her head. "I swear, those girls go too far sometimes." The three girls turned their attention to the curtain when those aforementioned girls walked out. Misa held Negi's jeans in one hand followed by Chizuru, Madoka and Akira who looked rather embarrassed.

"Here goes his jeans." Misa held them out to Asuna who snatched them away.

"You really gave Negi the scare, ya know?!" Asuna scolded them much like an older sister would.

"We're sorry." Akira apologized for them. "But he chose this path."

"And he was soooo cute!" Misa squealed in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Oh look at him. Can I hold him?!"

"NO!" Konoka and Setsuna yelled.

* * *

**_The Infirmary..._**

Konoka observed Negi from the door as the nurse approached his bed to offer him tea and smiled before turning to Setsuna who stood beside her doing the same. "Will you please take care of Negi-kun for us Set-chan?" The girl asked sweetly.

"Of course, Ojo-sama." Setsuna answered quickly with a slight nod of her head. She watched as Konoka bowed back gratefully and followed Asuna out of the infirmary before turning back to regard Negi who was looking up at the ceiling; Chachazero sitting beside him, mirroring his actions. She noticed that he was stroking the watch that Chao gave him in his hand and asked, "So did that watch ever prove to be useful?" She took a tea from the nurse who offered her a cup.

"No, not yet." Negi replied with a bit of a loose tongue. "I..haven't seen Chao...san since-" To Setsuna's amazement Negi simply conked out in a moments notice. He was out like a light, breathing lightly as he slipped away completely.

"Heh, night then." Setsuna said in a whisper as she stroked his forehead. She suddenly found her own eyelids getting heavy and laid back in her seat yawning. "Well, it looks like I could use some...sleep mysel..." Her eyes closed before she could finish and she was out as well.

"Master?" Chachazero called his name in worry. There was something a bit off about what was happening. The puppet turned her head towards the door when she felt something move nearby and turned back to observe Setsuna but before she could piece anything together she felt a stab of pain and her arms drooped lifelessly. "M-master's flow..." Chachazero could feel Negi's aura gradually slipping away from her and seconds later she simply shutdown. The glimmer in hers eyes faded away dully and her head hung.

"Can't have you watching, 'dolly'." Chao chuckled as she entered the room, flexing her gloved hands. They crackled a few times before powering down and the Chinese girl took them off and stashed them in her pocket. She approached the bed Negi was sleeping in and sat beside his resting form, taking his hand in one of her own. She felt a deep warmth from being in the same room with him. It was almost as though her blood was calling out to him in some sort of way she wasn't even able to comprehend. "Well then, Negi. Who would've known that it was going to be this easy to obtain what I desire from you; a vampire destined to be feared by the other clans." She pulled down his collar and a mischievous smirk crossed her lips.

"You look so peaceful and helpless." She ran two of her fingers down his neck and stopped at a point that she could feel his pulse. The excitement she felt at that moment was simply overwhelming. Every hair on her body stood up in anticipation. "Naturally Evangeline would endow me with much more fearsome powers but she isn't so easy to fool. She's much too clever to bring down but her underling is the next best thing and I feel way more comfortable having a drink from you anyway." She bared her fangs, lowering herself over the young magi until she could feel her own breath on Negi's neck.

"Cheers." She bit down and her eyes almost rolled in to the back of her head as Negi's sweet blood streamed in to her mouth in a smooth flow that was overcoming all her rational senses. She was trembling. Her hands; no, her entire body started to tremble. This is what it was like to drink from the very roots of her clan, one of the first in Evangeline's clan. There were stories of how Negi's blood was desired by all the dark mistresses of every clan in her time but this was just too good beyond belief!

"AH!" Chao pulled away with all the will power she had left in her. Negi moaned in his sleep, clearly disturbed by her actions but he was so overtaken by the drug she slipped in his tea that he did nothing else. "I could've sucked him dry if I didn't get a grip on myself." Chao panted, as she made sure to lick the blood trickling from her mouth. She lowered herself over him once more to lap up the blood that was still trickling down his neck before it could stain the pillow and sighed in ecstasy. This truly was a forbidden heaven and she was going to have to get away from it before it would consume her.

"Eva has it too good." Chao mumbled with a lopsided grin. "She has it way too good but it doesn't matter now." She clenched her right hand in to a fist and closed her eyes as she slowly felt a deep change within her body. Her fangs were slowly growing in her mouth along with other physical features on her body. "This is amazing! This is everything I ever expected it to be and it's all thanks to you Negi-chan! Now..." Her eyes spied the Cassiopeia held loosely in Negi's hand. "...it's time to set you up. Your neck should be healed by the time you wake up."

**_--------------------------------------_**

**_A few hours later..._**

**_--------------------------------------_**

"E-EVA DON'T!" Negi suddenly screamed as he awoke from him drug induced slumber. Cold sweat trailed down his face as he tried to pace himself and he was relieved to have awoken from his nightmares but something didn't seem right when he looked around. Either the nurse drew down the curtains as they napped or...

"Why is is so dark in here?!" Negi gasped in fear. He looked at the clock and his eyes widened in utter shock. His mind chose to shut down at the very moment to save itself from self-destruction. Setsuna awoke from her slumber as well and caught on just as fast as Negi did. She, however, made things worse on Negi when she screamed, "It's eight o' clock! We slept through everything!" She slapped her hands against her cheeks and cried out, "We've missed the preliminaries for the Mahora Tournament!"

"NO!" Negi jumped out of the bed, knocking Chachazero down to the floor by mistake and freaked out when he realized what had happened. "Ch-Chacha-chan!" He scooped her up in his arms and stroked her head quickly. "H-hey I'm sorry about that!"

Silence...

"Er...Chachazero?" Negi called to her again but he received no answer. He started to panic and clutched her tightly to his chest in fear. "Oh no! I've missed everything and now I've killed my familiar! Chacha-chan, WHY?!"

"Calm down Negi-kun!" Setsuna ran to him and placed her hands on both his shoulders. "Take a deep breath. Chachazero is not dead!"

"B-but she won't respond!"

"You're just so worked up that you jumping to conclusions! She is not dead!" Setsuna yanked one of his hands in to one of her own and pulled him to the door of the infirmary room. She heard Negi trying to talk to his familiar behind her and sighed. This definitely wasn't the way she wanted to start off from a good nap. "...Ojo-sama...lend me your strength."

Suddenly everything went silent. The beeps from the medical devices in the room stopped and so did the chatter from the nurses gossiping at the front desk. Just as quick as everything had stopped, everything had begun to run backwards! The nurses voices sounded distorted as they started doing everything backwards. The clock in the room started to tick counter-clockwise and before Setsuna and Negi could get a grasp of what was happening the room vanished in a void of inky darkness...

Setsuna opened her eyes and closed them quickly when the light from the sun outside shone directly on her face...wait a second...the sun?! "W-what just..." Setsuna narrowed her eyes as she looked out the window and flinched when a plane whizzed by without warning; One of the same planes that the flying club flew earlier this morning when the fesitval started.

"It's ten o' clock!" Negi exclaimed, his voice filled with the quivers of disbelief. He pulled his hand away from Setsuna's when he felt Chachazero squirm in his arms and hugged the unsuspecting puppet before she could even say anything. "CHACHAZERO!" He cried out happily. "You're alive!"

"M-master, st-stop it! You're going to disassemble me!" The sadistic puppet cried out bashfully. "Oh no, my hat. My hat is going to fall off!" Negi stopped when she cried out a final time and stared back at Setsuna who was still looking quite lost. It was at the expression that lingered on the swordsmen's face that brought him back to the situation at hand.

"L-let's go outside to see what going on!" Negi suggested.

"Good call sensei!"

**_-------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning away from that pair..._**

**_-------------------------------------------_**

"Mei...must you have one?" Takane asked her underling as the redhead mage in training waited for the student to finish preparing her cotton candy for her. The blonde magistress sighed when Mei gave her a nod in response before turning back to the business at hand. "We really should be scouting out for any confessions. Are you sure the sensor hasn't alerted you?"

"I'm positive." Mei assured her as she pulled the sensor out of her pocket to prove it. "Believe me onesan, it's the first day of the festival; not even close to the evening yet. I don't think anyone's about to make a confession yet."

"Alright, alright..." Takane crossed her arms with a huff. "Then get me one to."

"Got ya' covered!" Mei chirped in reply as she turned back to inform the student who turned away for a moment to roll her eyes. As the duo stood beside the cotton candy booth, Evangeline walked by and spotted Takane by her long golden mane of hair and nurse cap. She had almost mistakened Ayaka for her earlier as she passed by the haunted house but she was sure this time. The nurse cap was a dead give away.

"Well, well." Takane flinched when she heard Evangeline's dark silk voice. She turned around slowly to face the vampiress and a scowl came upon her face almost immediately. Of all the times the dark mage could have shown her face it had to be when Gandolfini wasn't anywhere in sight. "I'm just strolling through the festival grounds and I happen to see you slacking off. What sort of example is that for all the other mages on campus?"

"Dark Evangel..." Takane growled before regaining her composure. "Interesting to see you showing your face. I didn't think you would be so careless."

"Careless?" Evangeline asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'm sure you're aware of the many mages currently on campus just itching to arrest you." Takane smirked but it faltered slightly when she saw the chibi-vampire grin.

"I'm very much aware of them but you have to ask yourself..." Evangeline crossed her arms. "Do you really want to start something in the middle of all this? I'm capable of wiping out every mundane on the grounds right now just by 'accidentally' allowing one of my spells to miss in the heat of battle."

"You're terrible." Takane shot at her. "It's a wonder how Negi puts up with you." The magistress managed to strike a chord without even realizing it. Had she been paying attention carefully she would have seen the brief pained look that flashed across Evangeline's face. Negi didn't happen to say anything nasty about her during his little meetings with this girl had he? The very thought made Evangeline feel a little...unsettled.

"Now that you mention the boya's name, I've noticed you two have been meeting quite often lately. I can't help but feel a little curious at the very idea of you two together."

"Why do you say that?" Takane asked as her eye twitched ever so slightly.

"You're working under Gandlofini aren't you?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, the very idea of a mage such as yourself associatating themself with the apprentice of an "Evil" mage like boya brings up some questions." Evangeline took a sudden step forward, forcing Takane to take a step back cautiously. Evangeline saw her right hand slip in to her pocket and she smirked. She could tell that she was making Takane very uncomfortable. "It would be a shame if you were using my apprentice as a source against me."

"Hey one...san?" Mei turned to face Takane with both sticks of cotton candy in her hands only to see Evangeline standing there with a devious grin on her face. By the looks of it she could tell that Takane was engaged in a verbal sparring session with the vampiress and the tension was already getting to her. "E-Eva?"

"So this must be Mei." Evangeline mused as she stole a glance at Mei before returning her attention back to Takane. "Negi told me about her. I can tell that he has developed a fondness towards the both of you. He defends you two as though he'd known you all his life." Her words made an impact on Takane and Mei.

"I assure you that I'm not using Negi." Takane retorted.

"You aren't? Somehow I don't believe that."

"You don't, hmm? If anything you're the one, Negi needs to be protected from." This time she caught the brief look on Evangeline's face. "You're a terrible influence on him. The last thing I'd want is for a young man like him to be tainted by your...your monstrous nature."

"Monstrous? Me?" Evangeline clenched her left fist at those words. They were words that reminded her of a dark past she tried hard to put behind her. She didn't let her emotion betray her much else, however, as she tossed her hair to the side and grinned. "I advise you to think before you speak next time girl. There are a few things about me that you don't know about as well as a few things you don't **_WANT_** to know about." She turned away and started walking away but not before saying, "If I happen to find out that you've hurt Negi in any way then you'll get a little insight on those certain things."

"...She sure is demented." Mei remarked.

"And she seems to have a deep relation with Negi-sensei for her to worry about him." Takane commented, cupping her chin in one hand thoughtfully. "Nevertheless we must liberate Negi-sensei from her before she manages to pull him in any further."

"Are you serious?"

"I'm serious."

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Meanwhile we turn to another confrontation..._**

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Hoo, hoo, hoo. Having fun here, are we?" Chao butted in as she stepped behind Negi and Setsuna while they were having a warm talk. They both whipped around to face her when she spoke and a smile crossed her lips. Negi massaged the back of his neck with a blush creeping up on his face and laughed nervously.

"O-oh, well...er...I'm going to..." Negi shuffled away from both girls before making a dash for it with Chachazero. "I'll be back!" With Negi out of the way, Chao set her sights on Setsuna and grinned. "So how do you like the past? I thought it best if you experienced it first-hand so I slipped a little something in to the tea that the nurse gave the both of you...Sorry Setsuna-san." To Setsuna her apology lacked it's genuineness.

"There's one thing that's bothering me about you." Setsuna started out as she flopped her bunny ear out of the way. "This time-displacement device that you gave Negi couldn't have been built by any mere human no matter how brilliant."

"Your point?" Chao questioned with a lopsided grin that made her look simply devious.

"Just who are you?" Setsuna demanded to know.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Chao asked, licking her left fang playfully.

"No doubt."

"Well then..." Chao started to walk circles around Setsuna, putting the swordsman on alert. "I'm a mysterious Chinese inventor, a mad scientist and even the owner of the ever popular Chao Boa XI and others but the truth is..."

"Yeah..."

"My true identity is..."

"Stop stalling!"

"A secret!" Chao finished with a grin.

"Give me a break!" Setsuna cried out. The Chinese girl had pushed her towards the edge already. "Coming from a class with a vampire, a robot and even a ninja and a ghost I wouldn't be surprised if you were of a similar nature."

"Hoo, hoo." A truly evil expression washed over Chao's face." I wouldn't throw stones if I were you Setsuna-san." The Chinese girl was very aware of what Setsuna truly was. She already knew quite a bit about the secrets of her past and that made Setsuna take action. She whipped out her artifact before the vampiress declaring, " So now we know why you're really here! If you mean to harm Negi-kun in anyway I guarantee that my blade will not be still!"

"Such words in that get up won't have an effect on me." Chao grinned, gesturing to the bunny suit Setsuna was donning. She could see that the swordsman was already getting rather irritated by her laid back attitude. "Besides, I'm not here to hurt Negi-chan at all. I only gave him the watch so he could enjoy the festival, that's all." She leaned over to Setsuna with another cheerful smile gracing her lips. "Negi-chan happens to be a blood relation alright? There's no way I'd hurt him of all people."

Setsuna looked back at Chao in awe. That was the last thing she ever expected to hear out of her. She was simply in shock but what could she possibly say? The only thing she could do at the moment was taking that answer because unlike before, the girl sounded as though she was telling the truth. The smile on her face held some genuiness and there was an air of honest at that moment.

"...What're you up to?"

"Nothing at all!" Chao grinned before pulling a thick white manual from seemingly out of nowhere. "This is the instruction booklet for the Cassiopiea so make sure Negi gets that. I'm just relieved that it works because the last time it ever was used was about two and a half years ago."

"You're glad that it works? What do you mean?"

"Well, it happened to malfunction there would have been a chance that you and Negi would've been stuck in the ripples of time forever." Just as she finished her sentence Negi came back with Chachazero and took his place beside Setsuna.

"Sorry if I took long!" He apologized.

"Oh, don't be sorry Negi-chan." Chao told him with a smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I just gave your little girlfriend the manual for the watch."

"O-oh! You already discussed it?! I was kind of nervous when it all happened!" Negi stammered.

"Don't worry Negi-chan." She snatched the manual out of Setsuna's hands and slipped it to Negi. "This will walk you through everything. It really depends on you, how much to read."

"Th-thanks!" Negi thanked her gratefully.

"Well, you two kids have fun!" Chao bided them farewell as she turned to walk away. "I have a date to keep so I'll be on my way!"

"Alright." Negi nodded before realizing something. "D-date?! I almost forgot about Nodoka again!" Negi started to make his leave as well. "It's been pretty fun Setsuna-san but I've got to go before I forget again! I'll see you later okay?!" He didn't even wait for an answer as he was already running down the stairs before Setsuna could utter a word. She looked back at Chao's fleeting form as the Chinese girl made her leisure escape and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

_Chao Lingshen...I don't know how it is that you're related to Negi-sensei but...I still don't quite trust you just yet..._

* * *

**_Fast-forwarding to the Date..._**

Nodoka stood by a large fountain in wait for Negi to show up for their date. Of course she wouldn't admit that it was in fact a date but no one was willing to say otherwise anyway. She wore a nice white summer dress with a purse to match. A neckband was wrapped around her neck with a small flower blossoming on the front and she fixed her hair so that it was slightly pulled away from her eyes despite the stubborn bang that hung dab in the middle covering her nose. She pulled out her cellphone when she felt the trepidation of Negi's arrival getting to her and held a number on speed dial.

"Y-Yue? Haruna? You there?" She asked nervously.

_-"We're right here kiddo! We'll be backing you up every step of the way, okay?!"- _Haruna's voice rang out excitedly. The manga artist could never control her excitement whenever it came to matters like this. She was a fool for love and any other matters that had to deal with romance and passion. -_"It's your big chance kid! At least get in a kiss or two!"-_

"Y-you can't be serious!" Nodoka cried out with a blush blossoming beautifully on her face.

_-"You'll be fine Nodoka. Just do your best and be yourself."- _Yue's calm voice spoke to her from the other side. There was a slight hint of reluctance as the blue-haired girl gave her advice but Nodoka was much to nervous to pick up on it. Her heart felt as though it was about to burst from her chest. _-"It always helps to visualize the situation."-_

"V-visualize?" Nodoka held out her magic book in her other hand where nobody else could view it and found something there she didn't expect to see...well kind of. On the pages before her displayed a sequence involving Negi complementing her beauty before ending the scene with a kiss. Her mind went a step further, however, and the pages warped in to one last scene that turned their simple kiss into one straight out of a hot steamy love novel.

"Not cool! N-not cool!" Nodoka tried rubbing out the images from the pages with her hand but it only caused the page to display-**_CLAP_**. She closed the book so hard that her hair was blown back by the impact of both sides of the book slamming against each other.

_-"Hey! Are you still there?"- _Haruna asked.

"Y-yeah!"

_-"You sound pretty flustered. What happened? Did Negi-kun come yet?!"- _

"N-no! Everything is just fine!"

_-"Great because I seriously want to let you in on something before you go on your date with him. There's this really popular legend about that tree that states it will grant love to anyone. You might not even have to confess your love! Maybe a kiss will work!"-_

There was silence...

_-"Hey Yue...why are you looking at me like that? HEY...WHOA! Hey Yue, HEY YUE! OH CHRIS-"- _The cellphone hung up after that, leaving Nodoka to stare at her phone in confusion. She took that last moment to look back in to her book to see what her heart was desiring now only to have Negi suddenly pop out of nowhere and greet, "Hey Nodoka! Whatcha readin'?"

"N-NOTHING!" The librarian slammed the book closed again, causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"So did I make you wait? I hope I wasn't late!"

"I-I actually just got here myself."

"Really?! That's a nice dress you have on!" Negi complimented her. "It makes you looks cute!"

"I am?! I m-mean, it does?!" Yue stumbled over her words.

**_-------------F-----------------------------------V--------------------------------------A--------------_**

"Heh, Heh! Look at those two hit it off Yue!" Haruna grinned as she nudged her companion on the shoulder. The manga artist expected Yue to respond to her words, however, her response came in the form of Asuna's voice which managed to come from out of nowhere.

"You have to admit that they look good together." Asuna said. Yue and Haruna whipped their heads in her direction.

"Wh-when did you get here?!" Haruna cried out in surprise. She bugged out even more when she saw that the red-head wasn't alone. Konoka and Setsuna had accompanied her as well with Chamo and Chachazero along for the ride. Well, Chachazero actually didn't seem all that happy with being present at the moment as much as Chamo was.

"I want my master!" Chachazero cried out. "Take me to him now!"

"Shush, will ya?" Asuna snapped at the puppet.

"Fool! My master and me are inseparable! I advise you take me to him before-" Chachazero stopped in mid-sentence when she realized that something very important to her was missing. Make that two very important things were missing. "M-my blades! Where are my swords?!"

"We made sure to strip you of them." Setsuna answered with a wink.

"First you take me away from my master and then you part me from my swords?! You're all monsters!" Chachazero groaned.

"That doll sure is interactive." Haruna commented suspiciously.

"Er...Whoa! They're making a move!" Konoka changed the subject quickly. Her words were kind of inaccurate though seeing as how Nodoka was doing most of the moving. From the looks of it she must have been heading towards the...

"BATHROOM!" All the girls screamed in frustration.

"That is only for emergencies!" Haruna groaned.

"She just used up one of her breaks." Konoka slipped her hand against her forehead. "Nodoka is so hopeless sometimes." The girls watched Negi stand there for a few minutes and they were convinced that the girl seriously was taking too much time. Then something unbelievably terrible headed right in to the equation. It came in the form of blonde flowing hair, fangs and a cute doll outfit that caught most of the girls off guard for a moment.

"Eva-san!" Setsuna exclaimed in fear. "What is she doing here?!"

"This is going to lose control fast people!" Asuna yelled. "Negi better do something quick!"

"This watch is amazing!" Negi nuzzled the miniature time machine against his cheek. "Chao-san in the best!"

"What was that exactly?" Evangeline popped out behind him.

"AH!" Negi jumped away from the vampiress and hid the watch behind his back in a futile attempt to hide the device from her. "M-mas- I mean Eva! I didn't expect to meet you around here!" He shuffled away from her a bit to put some more distance between them. "So..er...are you enjoying the festival so far?"

"I've gone through it a few times already but I guess it still amuses me somehow." Evangeline replied as she raised an eyebrow. "Boy do you look tense. What are you hiding behind your back boya?"

"Huh, y-you mean this?!" Negi asked, holding the watch out for her from a distance so she wouldn't be able to snatch it from him.

"Yeah, that. I'm feeling some magic vibes from that little doohickey." She held out her hand with a grin. "Hand it over."

"Why?!"

"Don't worry. I won't break it...promise." Evangeline told him.

"Ohhhhhhkaaayyyyeeee..." Evangeline's left eye started to twitch when Negi's voice patterns began to slow down as his eyes darted around for someone. He slowly brought the hand holding that watch towards her but he pulled it away quickly when he saw Nodoka come out of the bathroom. "Whoops, sorry Eva!" He laughed in relief.

"Whaddya mean, sorry?" The vampiress demanded.

"U-um, Nodoka is waiting for me so I better get going!" with that final exchange Negi met up with the timid girl who was walking towards them. The vampiress watched as the young magi spoke to Nodoka and waved at her before taking off toward the festival square. All the while Evangeline twisted one of the bows on her dress with both of her hands as she grit her teeth.

"Why does he keep on avoiding me?!"

"Score one for Negi-kun!" Konoka cheered. Her perkiness was so infectious that the other girls couldn't help but pump their fists in the air. At least until Evangeline suddenly whipped her head in their direction as though she could actually see them which was quite possible due to the fact that she was a vampire so she naturally had enhanced vision. Asuna and the others started to feel that it was best to change positions. Negi and Nodoka had started moving on anyway!

"To the main street!" Haruna declared.

* * *

Takane and Mei strolled through the main streets where most of the hustle and bustle was since they believed it would be the best place to pick up on confessions. It happened to be on the way to World Tree Plaza so it was a sure mainstream. As usual the girls had something else on their mind besides patrolling though.

"So, say that we do happen to convince Negi to leave Evangeline." There was a puzzled expression on Mei's face as she tried to express herself. "Er, what next? He's just going to move to another dorm room on campus which means Eva has more than enough time to convince him in to joining her again."

"You have a point there Mei." Takane nodded along with her underlings reasoning before an imaginary light bulb flashed above her head. "So we simply must take him away from her. We could always take him with us away from Mahora campus after the festival is over."

"But he's a teacher!" Mei argued. "The school would never allow it."

"Nonsense! Takahata sensei could always retake the position." Takane assured Mei with flicking gesture of her wrist. "We can train Negi to become part of Gandolfini's personal mage squad. We'll travel all over the world together as a team!" Mei could have sworm she saw an odd gleam in the blonde magistress's eyes as she said that.

"It sound like you've got this all planned." Mei sighed.

"Negi has the potential! I don't see why not."

"I don't have a problem with it at all onesan. I'd be delighted to have Negi come along with us everywhere. I'd even be happy enough to introduce him to my family but things just don't go that smoothly." Mei said with a frown. "How do you think Evangeline would react when she finds out we're the people who convinced Negi to leave her?"

"Well...now that you put it that way..." Takane mumbled.

"W-wait a second!" Mei held out her hand in front of Takane to get her attention as the confession tracker beeped rapidly. "We've got a confession...at that bookstore!" She pointed at the Barnes and Nobles nearby.

"We better hurry!" Takane took the lead immediately. The two girls managed to reach the store just in time to see Nodoka fall on top of Negi beside a stack of books near the very entrance. The position they were in made Mei blush up to her ears.

"Negi-sensei, what are you doing?" Takane asked with a slight edge in her voice. Nodoka got away from Negi quickly and pressed her back against another stack of books that were behind her causing it to fall over as well.

"W-well, you see...we weren't doing anythi-"

"Here we all are on patrol and you're here on a date with a female student!" Takane had a scowl on her face as she continued to berate the young magi. She felt somewhat betrayed that he would simply go out on a date with a different girl a day after they all had dinner together and to make it worse he was putting himself in danger! "The bond isn't as effective today but the first day is eighty percent effective! You need to be careful!"

"Um...what?" Nodoka felt completely lost. "Um, N-Negi-sensei?"

The Confession tracker suddenly went out of control!

"She's right up in the danger zone!" Mei warned Takane. "She could confess at any moment!" She was surprised when Negi got between them and Nodoka.

"I'm sorry but that's just rude Mei!" Negi scolded the girl, causing a hurt expression to grace her face. "M-Mei! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Negi! Step away from your student! You are in danger!" Takane ordered fiercely, cutting him off. She forced him out of the way and grabbed Nodoka's arm roughly before escorting her. "This way please."

"O-ow!" Nodoka moaned, "N-Negi-sensei." Before anyone else could do a thing Negi suddenly pulled her away from Takane and made a run for it.

"Let's go Nodoka-san!" He cried out, running away with her in tow. Takane and Mei didn't even hesitate to pursue them.

"Is he sick?!" Takane growled. "Has he lost his mind?!"

"Th-they're on the run!" Setsuna alerted Asuna when she saw everything unfold from the bench they were hiding behind. "We need go after them!"

"Lets get to it then!" Asuna yelled.

"Can you fly?"

"Er..what?!"

"N-negi sensei! My feet!" Nodoka cried out. Negi grimaced when he heard her and did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He stole a glance over his shoulder to see Takane and Mei still hot on his tail and pulled in to his arms with surprising strength before kicking of from the ground and flying in to the air. The people on Main Street were suddenly ants to the two as they soared through the sky where Takane and Mei couldn't reach them.

"Wow... Negi." Nodoka was in complete awe of his abilities. "You're so cool." When Negi figured they put enough distance between them and the Main street he spotted a balcony to land on and descended upon it lightly. He let the light girl back on her feet and tried to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." He apologized.

"But who were they Negi-sensei?"

"My co-workers I guess." Negi replied with a frown. "I'm so sorry! We were having such a nice day and I had to go and ruin it with this mess!"

"You have nothing to apologi-"

"I'll make it up to you Nodoka-san! I promise! Just tell me what you want and I'll do it!" Negi cut the librarian off quickly.

"Make it up to me?" Nodoka asked as the possibilities suddenly became endless.

"Yeah, anything you want!" Negi urged her on.

"Well then..." Nodoka walked over to the rail of the balcony and thought for a moment before looking back at Negi. She found it a little hard to find the words to say but she finally went on, "What I'd like sensei...is for you to kiss me."

"Huh?" Negi found himself confused.

_The World Tree flickered..._

"Before it wasn't really on purpose and this time I'd like for it to be a little more romantic." Nodoka said with boldness she never knew she had in her. Negi didn't even have time to respond before a circle of light appeared around him and seconds later a white beam of light engulfed him. Nodoka backed away as the light continued to shower him until it finally stopped and Negi slumped over.

"N-Negi-sensei?! Are you alright?!" She asked in fear that he may have been hurt but she backed away when an odd dazed look washed over his face. The life in his eyes had suddenly vanished almost as if he was being hypnotized. Setsuna and Asuna had seen the piercing beam of light when it had struck and were already on their way to check out what was going on. The World tree powered everything that was channeled with the passage of magic and in this case it fueled Negi's vampiric side at an overwhelming level.

"Understood." Negi said in an odd voice.

"What do you mean?" Nodoka asked unaware of what he was answering to.

"You wish to receive a kiss right? I'll give you a kiss right now if you don't mind." He held his hand out to her and her stomach did flips. Was this seriously happening to her of all people? Negi was actually going to give her the kiss that she had been awaiting all this time since their date started. She started to hesitate when she noticed that there was just something so wrong about what was happening. The look in Negi's eyes didn't hold any life in them. It just didn't seem right!

"Negi-kun...I don't think we should do this." She tried to decline the offer but Negi's eyes began to entrance her. He held his hand out to her regardless and she suddenly felt the irresistible urge to approach him. When she was in arms reach he grabbed ahold of her wrist and pulled her towards him. "N-negi-sensei...is that really you?!" Her words fell meaninglessly to his ears as he placed his other hand on the small of her back and pulled her towards him.

"No! Y-you musn't!" She moaned as her heart felt like it was going to burst. Her eyes lingered upon his soft lips as they almost captured hers but at the last moment Asuna came out of nowhere and forced them apart!

"Leave her alone!" the red-head cried out fiercely as she swung at the young magi but he dodged easily as though he was engaged in a dance with her. His movements were so ethereal that it made Asuna shiver. Setsuna joined her with Chachazero and the faced off against Negi.

"Stupid Negi! What's wrong with you!?" Asuna demanded.

"This must be the work of the World Tree!" Chachazero explained before turning on Nodoka. "What did you order master to do?!"

"What do you mean?!" Nodoka asked, finding it hard to keep up with everything.

"This isn't the power of love little girl!" The puppet snapped angrily. "You ordered master to do something and the World Tree is controlling his will!"

"Oh gosh..." She gasped.

"What is it Nodoka-san?!" Setsuna asked when she heard her.

"A kiss! I asked him to kiss me."

"Are you serious?" Asuna and Setsuna asked in perturbation. They never would have taken Nodoka for the bold one. For her to ask for a kiss was something entirely foreign to them! Nevertheless her bold effort was what caused the problem.

"Setsuna-san, please step aside." Negi's calm voice suddenly asked from beside her. She whipped to the side to see Negi standing right beside her and ordered, "Snap out of it!"

"Very well." Negi said with a nod before shifting in to a fighting stance. He lunged forward with a palm shot and Setsuna dodged to the side while Asuna pushed Nodoka out the way. Just as Setsuna got ready to defend he came at her again with an elbow and advance with a spinning backhand when she managed to block his attack as well.

"Such movement...it's unreal!" Setsuna observed grimly as she turned to Asuna and Nodoka. "Asuna! Get Nodoka far away from here! I'll try to snap Negi-kun out of it!"

"But Setsuna-"

"Do it now!" Setsuna cut Asuna off before she could say anymore. She turned back to Negi and grinned when she saw him back in a fighting stance. She had a feeling that this was going to be fun. _Although I would be happier sparring you while you weren't under another influence. Don't go and disappoint me Negi! _She charged forward and attempted to disable him with a leg sweep but he leaped over her and flipped in the air before coming down with an axe kick. Setsuna anticipated it and rolled to the side before positioning herself on her upper back and jerking her hips to the side to imitate the motion of a top in an attack that resembled a break dance maneuver. Even in his controlled state, Negi seemed to show a brief expression of surprise as he avoided her barrage of kicks.

He opted for a low ground attack as he countered her maneuver with a rising kick that knocked her off balance! Setsuna quickly recovered when she fell to the floor again and charged at Negi again, however, instead of trying to catch him with a straight forward attack she placed her hands on both of his shoulders when she was in reach and jumped over his head before crouching down and kicking him in the back. He staggered forward from the unexpected attack and found himself at Setsuna's mercy when she whipped around and brought him down with a corkscrew kick.

"Come on!" Setsuna taunted, her feet moving at a beat that made her appear to be dancing. She stopped with eyes wide in embarrassment however when Negi's fallen form phased out like a hologram. "A-An after image?! Almost like Kaede'a techniques! How did he manage to do that?!"

"The World Tree seems to be unlocking most of his latent power." Chachazero informed her. "Master isn't going to be an easy opponent, that's for sure."

"Then we better hurry!"

She whipped around to face the direction that Asuna and Nodoka escaped and dashed across balcony to balcony. With the way Negi was behaving Asuna wasn't going to be much help to the librarian at all!

"Asuna-san, I'm so sorry!" Nodoka apologized with a deep bow. "I-I don't understand why this is happening!"

"Don't worry yourself Nodoka-san!" Asuna told her with a grin as she shouldered her steel fan. "This stuff is usually all Negi's fault anyw-" Asuna stopped to turn towards the balcony ledge when she heard someone land hard. To her dismay it wasn't Setsuna...

"Sorry to keep you waiting Nodoka-chan." Negi apologized as he walked to them. The closer he got the faster both girl's heartbeat began to beat. His aura was having an affect on them that they just couldn't understand. They felt the cold embrace of darkness when Negi almost reached them but the feeling was lifted almost immediately when a barrage of light arrow rained upon the vampire. Asuna had to keep herself from crying out when she saw the piercing blades of light crash where Negi was standing but a wave of relief and fear spread over her when Negi stomped the ground, causing a field to deflect the surprise attack.

"I thought this might happen!" Takane said grimly.

"Oh no...what happened to Negi-kun? I've never seen him behave like this!" Mei clutched her broom tightly in worry.

"It's the influence of the tree." Takane turned a fearsome gaze upon Nodoka that made the girl shiver. It didn't look much like the face of a hero. It looked more like Takane was contemplating whether to deal some punishment to her despite their current situation. "Negi's little date must have confessed to him or given him an order of some sort."

"HELLO?!" Asuna waved her arms at them. "Some help would be just fantastic!"

"He disappoints me but it must be done!" Takane said haughtily. "You surprised us before but we won't underestimate you this time Negi!" She declared as she pointed a finger at Negi. She pumped one of her fist in the air and yelled, "Since reserve seemingly means nothing for you I'll just send em' all at once! ATTACK!" She signaled for all of her shadow warrior to attack Negi but nothing happened.

"What's going on? ATTA...!" Takane's scream fizzled out like a dying spark when she realized that Negi was no longer standing where he once was, which may have been the explanation for her warrior's disobedience because he appeared to be standing behind her and Mei. Asuna and Nodoka could only gape in shock when they saw Negi dispatch the entire squad of warriors like they were nothing but animated lampshades. Negi aimed his hand at both female mages and they took that opportunity to scream for the spell he began to chant was "Oh-so-dreadful!"

_He's going to strip us of our clothes! _Takane inwardly screamed but to her immense relief Setsuna took Negi's place beside them when she took his dropped guard as an opportunity to deliver a solid flying kick to his side. The ending result was Negi crashing in to the many outdoor dinner tables on the balcony below. To all of the girls dread Negi brushed off the kick and collision as though it didn't have any affect on him and advanced on Asuna and Nodoka.

"Oh Jesus!" Asuna grabbed ahold of Nodoka again and made her stand behind her before getting in to a fighting stance with her steel fan. "Come on stupid squirt! What are ya' doing?!" She cried out in frustration. Negi said nothing but decided to kick off and glide towards her with both hands crackling with light energy.

"Come on then!" Asuna yelled. She deflected a punch from him with her fan and whipped around to strike his other hand before he could deliver a solid punch to her. When Negi found that his punches weren't doing much he whipped around with a round house but Asuna was just as quick and easily blocked it with the hilt of her weapon. Asuna's breath caught in her throat when Negi's feet seemingly never touched the ground as he made up for error and tried to deliver a mid-air swan dive upon her. She managed to brace herself yet another time but she gradually found herself getting tired.

_That's it! I'm going on the offensive! _Asuna slashed at him but he ducked under her fan before it could strike him. She went in for an overhead slash and to her prediction Negi dodged to the right which offered her the chance to catch him with a solid kick to the gut. Negi skidded back from the impact but held his ground and dropped in to another fighting stance. To him the fight was just picking up a notch but Asuna wasn't about to throw down the towel just yet.

Nodoka, seeing that this was going too far finally cried out, "Asuna-san! Just stop already! I'll take the kiss from him if it'll make him stop!" Her words elicited quite a reaction from all the other girls who regarded her with looks that gave the impression that they thought she was crazy.

"NO WAY!" Asuna cried out. "I'm not about to let him get through to you!" She turned her attention back to Negi and a cocky grin crossed her lips. "If you wanna kiss her then you're gonna have to kiss me first! Got it?!"

Negi stayed very quiet for a moment as though he was thinking over her words before finally saying. "Alright then. You first Asuna-san."

And the whole world was like, **_"WHAT?!"_**

"Look Ms. Kagurazaka, I don't know how you got your hands on an artifact but I suggest you leave this to those who can handle it!" Takane yelled.

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Asuna snapped back at the blonde magistress.

"Look Negi-kun!" Takane got the young magi's attention. "Forget what those civilians tell you. If you want to pucker up then you're going to have to lay one on me first! You got that?!" What the magistress didn't know was what would have followed.

"Very well." Negi complied as he turned his back on Asuna.

"Hey! Don't you ignore me!? Asuna yelled but Negi no longer concerned himself with her. He set his sights on Takane and Mei and Setsuna got in position to hold him off.

"You're crazy Goodman!" Setsuna hissed.

"Onesan, why did you have to get his attention like that?!" Mei cried out. Both girls had no time to react as Negi glided in their direction at top speed and stopped right in front of them. The ending result was a tremendous sonic boom that sent both Mei, Setsuna. and Takane in the air. Negi, seeing his chance flew in to the air and held Takane in his arms before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

"OH MY GOD!"

"ONESAN?!"

"THAT CRAZY WOMAN!"

"MASTER NEGI! NOOOOOOO!"

"N-NEGI-SENSEI?!"

Takane had her eyes wide open as her mind slowly processed what was happening to her. Negi had her in a firm embrace and was giving her a lesson in kissing that she never thought she would learn in a long time. His aura was pulling her in as her body started to give in to the passion and for one horrifying, crucial moment all of her worries and resistance melted away.

Her eyes closed and she was his...

Negi on the other hand had suddenly become very thirst...

**_To Be Continued..._**

_I seriously think I just disturbed myself...ahem...well you can expect more twists like that to come up in the future so I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What will happen next? Well, I have a few ideas but feel free to comment. Heh..._

**_Traingham... _**

_…Cripes! Am I seriously still on day one?!_


	16. Making Life Harder

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Sixteen: Loving You a Little More_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

It was the most unbelievably indescribable sensation Takane had ever experienced in her entire life and she was receiving it from the most unlikely person ever. Her toes curled as Negi slipped in something rather unexpected and she found her hands slipping over his back to keep him close. They were still in the air for reasons she couldn't really care to comprehend at the moment and her hair was flowing freely around them. Asuna and the others could only watch with gaping mouths as they watched the passionate scene unfold before them and they couldn't help but see something completely bizarre about it because the blonde magistress didn't seem to show any signs of resistance.

Asuna couldn't even do her part and separate them because she was just so mesmerized by the way Negi was attending to the young woman in his arms. Had he been in his older form at the given moment she probably would have been filled with the venomous stab of jealousy. In fact she actually felt rather disturbed that Takane had managed to have her lips claimed when she was the one who was willing to sacrifice herself for the cause in the first place. Setsuna was busy going over the scenario of what would have happened if she decided to give herself in at the last moment and Mei was simply fuming.

"Takane.." Negi whispered in to her ear when he broke the kiss gently. The young magi could feel her shiver from the way his sweet breath tingled her ear. "...I hope I've fulfilled what you expected of me." He bared his fangs as his eyes practically danced over the elegance of her neck with a spark of feeling that was previously unseen in his dull eyes. "Now allow me to take you further."

"...Further?" Takane moaned in confusion as her mind slowly regained a little grip on reality but before she could say anything else she felt a sudden sensation in her neck. Her eyes closed when the slight pain was suddenly changed in to a wonderful feeling that threatened to overwhelm all of her senses; it killed all rational sense of thought. Instead of trying to investigate the cause of her sudden pleasure she just gave in to his welcoming embrace and held him tighter as though he would disappear if she let go. Negi subconsciously found something very different about the way it tasted from sucking blood from the very source as opposed to sipping it through a straw.

"They've kept it up too long!" Mei suddenly cried out when the jealousy finally struck a cord. "Why hasn't anybody tried to break them up yet?!" The red-head blinked in confusion when she noticed the dreamy looks on all the girl's faces. Surprisingly enough Setsuna and Chachazero were at no exception to the group. "HEY!"

"W-what?!" Asuna snapped out of her daze and shook her head before focusing back on the scene before them. "O-oh yeah..um, right! NEGI!" Asuna ran to the ledge of the balcony and kicked off to reach the two who were still gliding in the air but she found that she didn't quite kick off hard enough since she started falling down before she could even get a grip on Negi's leg. She screamed when she found herself falling fast and Negi finally snapped out of his hypnosis only to find himself with a rather shapely body pressed against him.

"MMM?!" Negi moaned with his eyes wide in horror. He pulled back from Takane's neck quickly and tried to suppress a scream at the sight of blood trickling from the punctures in her neck. He licked the blood that was smothered over his lips and looked down when he finally realized that it was Asuna's scream that awoke him. "A-ASUNA!" He completely disregarded everything else and made a nosedive with the blonde magistress still in his arms.

"NEGI!" Setsuna cried out when she saw him pass down in a blur. She closed her eyes in fear of what may have followed but to her confusion there was no sickening splatter of flesh or a crash. In fact, Asuna stopped screaming. "Huh?" She looked down from the ledge and sighed when she found Negi setting Asuna down on the floor gently but what surprised her was that Negi was flying without a broom. When did he learn how to do that?

_Negi, Negi, Negi...you seriously are surprising me everyday. _Setsuna thought with a slight grin as she watched Asuna bite Negi's head off below. She saw Negi flinch as he leaned away from the red-head with Takane held securely in his arms and Asuna yelling at him with wild hand gestures. This incident wasn't just going to blow away, that was for sure. The swordsman bit her thumb at the thought of Takane regaining consciousness. "This really is going to complicate things now that Negi assaulted one of Gandolfini's personal mages."

"But it really wasn't Master's fault!" Chachazero argued, hopping off of her shoulder. "That woman knows that it was the doing of the World Tree!"

"However she also knows that Asuna has an artifact in her possession." Setsuna countered before looking over her shoulder to look at Nodoka who still seemed to be at a loss for words. "Then there's the fact that Nodoka has also seen everything. Ms. Goodman will eventually uncover the secret of her knowledge as well."

"Don't worry about it." Mei waved her off as she walked up beside Setsuna. "I don't think onesan would be able to think straight enough at the moment to even recall all of that. When she wakes up Negi-kun is going to be her first target for sure." Her hands around her broom tightened unnoticeably. "She brought this upon herself anyway."

"So are you saying that Asuna would have been the better sacrifice?" Chachazero asked curiously.

"NO!" Mei yelled making Setsuna and Chachazero blink.

**_----------------------------------------_**

**_The Infirmary..._**

**_----------------------------------------_**

Negi paced back and forth in front of Asuna and the others as they waited for the nurse to come out of Takane's room. Asuna caught Negi mumbling to himself as he paced, licking his lips unconsciously and shook her head with a grin. She assumed it was just nervous habit since Negi managed to lick all the blood off of his mouth before he caught her and she didn't get to see Takane's neck because he wouldn't even allow Mei to get close enough to examine the blonde magistress. The last thing Negi wanted was for any of the girls to find out about his little secret. He just didn't want to think of how they would react if they ever found out but then again, the World Tree practically screwed him over ten fold anyway.

_Takane of all people! I just had to bite Takane-san! _Negi ran his hand down his mouth and looked at if as though he was expecting it to be covered with blood. When he saw nothing on his hand he held it behind his back and resumed his pacing. _Now I've really messed up! Takane is going to kill me! Heck, she just might suck all of my blood to punish me for doing this to her!_ He didn't know if he initiated a pactio with the girl just like Evangeline did to him but he couldn't deny that fact that he bit her. Her blood was all over his mouth!

"Stop pacing around, will ya?!" Asuna suddenly cried out when the tension got to her. The first few times were okay but now Negi was just making her nervous! "Just have a seat beside me alright?" She patted the vacant seat on her left and Negi was almost tempted to sit beside her but a voice in the back of his mind wouldn't allow him to forget what happened that caused Takane to be here in the first place.

"Everybody's attention please." The nurse finally announced as she poked her head out of Takane's room. They all turned their attention to her with their breaths held and sighed when she said, "Ms. Goodman is alright. She's just feeling a little dazed and weak."

"Whew!" Mei felt all of her worries slip off her shoulders. "I was getting scared for a moment. See Negi?! You don't have anything to worry about!" Mei placed a hand on the young magi's shoulder with a grin.

"Oh!" The nurse gasped when Mei was done speaking to him. "So you're Negi!"

"Um, y-yeah." Negi answered nervously even though it didn't sound like she said it in the form of a question.

"Ms. Goodman wanted me to tell you to come in."

"Seriously?" Negi found his heart pumping fast.

"Yes." The Nurse beckoned him with a hand.

"Are you sure she didn't say anything about a Mei as well?" Mei asked, putting a hand in front of Negi to stop him from going any further. Surely her "onesan" would want to see her as well, right? She was much closer to her than Negi Springfield was! She watched the Nurse look back at where she assumed Takane was resting before mumbling something only to turn back and reply, "She just wants Negi to come in. I'm sorry sweety."

"What?" Mei let her hand drop to her side in shock. "What's going on here?!"

"It's really none of my business." The nurse said as she allowed Negi to walk in before shutting the door behind him. "It's my break." And with that the woman in white left to attend to her own business.

"What does that woman want with my master?!" Chachazero struggled to break away from Setsuna's grip but the swordsman had a very firm hold.

"Who knows." Setsuna said suspiciously. "It does raise some questions though if she chose Negi-sensei over her own underling."

"You don't think she just fell in love him with him...do you?" Asuna muttered hesitantly before shaking off the very thought. "N-never mind! That's a stupid thing to say! Heh, a young woman like her falling in love with a little brat like him?! Hilarious!"

"...Unless she has one of those sick pedo complexes." Chachazero suggested. The hall was suddenly very quiet as the girls took some time to think that one over. As much as they didn't want to think so, Takane did seem to enjoy that kiss that Negi gave her earlier.

_Could Negi-sensei have possibly pulled off something so well with a kiss? _Setsuna thought, unconsciously placing a finger against her lips as she stroked them.

_No, No, NO! The last thing I need is for another 'Class President' to be wandering around on campus. That girl couldn't have possibly fallen in love with Negi! Th-the little squirt seriously couldn't have known what he was doing when he kissed her! _Despite Asuna's thoughts, the more she thought about it the more her sights were set on the infirmary door; The more she could picture something going on in that room between the two. For all they knew Takane could have just invited him in to have him kiss her again!

_Onesan just wouldn't do something so wrong! She isn't that type of person! Besides... _Mei began to twiddle her fingers behind her back. _...She knows that I have a thing for Negi-sensei. She wouldn't just try to take him away from me like that...would she? _Mei's eyes went for the door just as the others girls did and they all squeezed in by the door to listen in on what Negi and Takane were saying to each other. Of course they only did it just in case Negi needed some help if that blonde magistress decided to do something irrational.

Negi approached Takane's bed slowly as he held one of his arms behind his back with the other. It was his fault that she was in this condition and to make matters worse he may have just cursed her with being a nocturnal the rest of her life. From the looks of it she must have went back to resting as the nurse invited him in because her eyes were closed. For once Negi noticed how much of a beauty the blonde magistress was and to think that moments ago he had her in his arms. He had no recollection of what happened before he awoke from his trance to find himself sucking her blood.

_What would master say if she found out about this? Would she be pleased that I finally drank blood or would she be mad at me? B-but I was under the control of another influence so is it really my fault?! _Negi found his head hurting from thinking about how he would go about the situation and he finally relaxed his mind. Right now he just had to focus on how his co-worker was doing; no, how his friend was doing because she wanted to be more than mere co-workers. He took a seat in the chair beside her bed and observed her peaceful face.

"I'm sorry Takane-san." He whispered before flinching when Takane's eyes snapped open to regard him intensely. There was an awkward moment shared between the two as Negi didn't say a word and she seemed content to simply stare back at him. After a while Negi offered her a quick wave and a smirk came upon her face telling him that she was still herself. That was sort of a good sign.

"Hi Takane." Negi greeted her.

"Likewise Negi-kun." She sat up in her bed, rubbing the side of her neck where Negi's fangs sought entry with a moan.

"A-are you okay?!" the young magi asked nervously but he calmed down when she motioned for him to settle with her hand.

"I'm alright. My neck is just a little sore I guess." Takane replied with another groan. "I guess I must've rested in a bad position." Her eyes regarded him with mischief again when she moved her hand away from her neck and she started out, "Well, look where we've ended up Mr. sensei."

"Heh, I never thought I'd be visiting you in the infirmary. I sure hope I didn't hurt you too much." Negi said sheepishly. "I...uh...heard the story from Asuna-san and Setsuna-san when we settled you in to this room." He saw the look of surprise on her face and massaged the back of his neck. "Er, yeah...I know. I don't remember what happened past the time I stood on the balcony with Nodoka-san after we ditched you and Mei-san."

"I see..." Takane said sounding rather disappointed. She placed her left hand over her right arm as she lowered her eyes towards the wrinkles in her sheets and sighed. "Maybe it's better that way I guess. I wouldn't want to think that it was really you who was up against us anyway. You caused us quite a bit of trouble, you know? You took out an entire squad of my shadow puppets in the blink of an eye like they were rag dolls and you stood your ground against Setsuna and Kagarazaka."

"D-did I?" Negi mused. "It's funny...I wouldn't think of myself as being that powerful. I'm surprised that I even managed to stand up against Setsuna-san."

"So I guess the rumor is true." Takane suddenly said.

"What rumor?"

"About your students." Takane said with a smirk. "Kagarazaka had a magical artifact with her. She wielded it against you on the balcony rather well, which means this, isn't recent. She's had some time to train herself I would assume."

"Uh..."

"You can get in real trouble for that sensei." Her voice suddenly became stern but only for a brief moment since the smirk reappeared on her face a moment later. "But...you're secret safe with me. If Gandolfini and the others happen to find out, however, I won't be able to help you."

"Thank you." Negi said as he forced a smile.

"No problem." Takane offered him a smile of her own before it twisted in to a libidinous grin. "You really wore me out though. You have more in you than I ever expected but believe me, next time I'll be ready for you." Negi assumed that she was talking about his fight with her on the balcony because the girls decided to leave out the part about him kissing her. They told him that he knocked Takane off when he was under his trance but he unexpectedly jumped to save her before coming down for Asuna as well and that was only because he asked why she was in her arms. Had he not asked they would have left that part off entirely.

"So I guess you're done with patrolling for tonight." Negi assumed.

"Maybe...maybe not. I don't really feel that tired anymore to tell you the truth. It's almost as though talking with you washed away all of my fatigue." Takane seemed genuinely surprised as she tried to get out of bed but Negi approached her quickly to settle her down and placed his hands on both of her shoulders. A blush blossomed on her face as she noticed how close they were and she asked, "What's the matter?"

"Just stay in bed Takane-san. You've done quite enough." Negi told her with a smile.

"So I assume that you'll fill in for me then?" She asked playfully.

"Of course!" Negi lied. He had to go back in to the past to get through the tournament preliminaries so he couldn't promise her anything. He stepped away from her when he was sure that she wouldn't get out of bed and gradually made his way to the door without turning. "If you're still here by the time I'm done I'll come and visit."

"I doubt I will but you can always visit me at the dorm that me and Mei are staying in. It's room two o' four in Dorm Hall West." Negi shivered at how welcoming the young woman had suddenly become. He expected her to be angry or disappointed with him but instead she treated him like he was her best friend.

"Alright. Will do." Negi reached for the knob behind him when he reached the door and pulled it open. Setsuna, Asuna and Mei quickly got away from the door to resume their previous positions when he came out and acted as though they didn't hear a thing.

"So how is onesan?" Mei asked mockingly.

"Er, she's fine." Negi replied as he walked to Setsuna to take Chachazero who was extending her arms out to him impatiently. He regarded his familiar cheerfully with an affectionate pat on the head and the girls were surprised to see the sadistic puppet nuzzle his cheek in return. It was a complete transformation from how evil and demented she was when they were forcing her away from the young magi. Asuna couldn't help but shiver every time Chachazero threatened them with something horrible. She just couldn't understand how Negi of all people could put up with Evangeline or his familiar. Chachamaru was another story since she mostly kept to herself but even then, the android was know to do some questionable things under the vampiress's command.

"I'm going in." Mei said as she opened the door to enter. When the door was shut behind her Negi leaned over to Setsuna and whispered, "Well, it's time to go back again. We need to participate in the preliminaries if we want to enter the tournament."

"There's no need to whisper Negi-kun." Setsuna told him with a small smile.

"What do you mean?"

"I've informed Asuna-san and the Ojo-sama." She replied with a slight nod.

"You told Asuna?" He turned to look at Asuna who nodded with her arms crossed over her chest before looking back at Setsuna quizzically. "You also mentioned Konoka as well. Is she-"

"Hey, who wants some skittles?!" Konoka's voice sang out, holding up an opened pack of the fruity snacks as she came in from the vending machine area. She kept an innocent smile on her face as Negi stared back at her, startled by her sudden appearance and asked, "What?"

* * *

**_Mahora Festival: Day One (Third Time around)_**

_Alright...Take a deep breath and concentrate. There we go; nice and easy. There are quite a few of them but if you concentrate this will all go by very smoothly. Love is not something to be taken lightly and it sure isn't something you depend on a myth for..._

**_K-CHICK..._**

_There we go, a young man and an upperclassman from Ursula Campus. That is a very bold choice there. Those Ursula girls are pretty snobby and all so I'll be doing him a favor by sparing him the humiliation. On to work then...take aim...and..._

**_BLAM!_**

Mana exhaled softly when she saw the young man take the rubber bullet to the head. That was sure going to leave a mark but it would go away with time. She was surprised to see the Ursula student run over to his fallen form and hold him close in a loving gesture of worry but she pushed aside the thought quickly before she would second guess anything. "Well, that makes seven." She snatched up her white jacket from the balcony rail and started to pack away her sniper rifle but a sudden flash of light caught her attention from the peripheral of her eye. She turned her head quickly to regard the source and hesitated in stashing away her rifle until the light cleared away to reveal Negi and the others.

"Negi-sensei?" Mana whipped her jacket over her shoulder after she placed her rifle in her deceiving guitar case and observed the scene until she saw the girls part from the young magi. When she saw that he was all alone she picked up her guitar case and went down to meet him. It was about time she got to know more about the young magi by now.

"Master Negi looks troubled." Chachazero commented as Negi leaned against the safety rail to look down at the bustling students below. "Are you still hung up on what happened earlier?"

"I was careless Chacha-chan." Negi sighed. "I really messed up with the world tree back there, I mean I really did. When I broke out of my trance the first thing I realized was my fangs plunged in Takane-san's neck." He felt Chachazero recoil on his shoulder from his words.

"Th-that's not good! If Eva finds out that there is another vampire on campus besides you she'll freak!" Chachazero stammered for the first time. Obviously she knew more things about Evangeline's behavior than Negi did. Not only that but a vampire on the other side could mean trouble. The blame would immediately fall on Evangeline unless Negi decided to reveal his secret to everyone.

"I didn't do it on purpose though! I don't even think I did it properly!" Negi argued. "When Eva did it there was this whole whirlwind and this red light surrounding us the entire time. Seeing as how the girls didn't mention anything about that, I think we're in the clear."

"That's because you're still an underling master! You can't initiate that sort of turning unless you become a full-fledged vam-" The puppet suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, confusing Negi. He turned to regard her and saw her gesturing towards something with her eyes. Before Negi could find out what she was trying to warn him about, Mana decided to alert him of her presence.

"From the looks of it I'd think you were having girl problems." Mana chuckled as she approached him from behind. "I've seen that distant look on a person before."

"T-Tatsumiya?!" Negi was startled at her sudden appearance. He wasn't able to sense her at all despite his heightened senses. He saw the young woman close one eye at the way her addressed her and shivered. Her eyes were unlike the other girls in his class. They lacked the innocence and the inviting warmth that the other girls held. Instead. Mana's eyes were very cold and intense; unsettling whenever she allowed that beautiful smile to grace her lips. It just felt so unnatural for a girl her age.

"What a welcoming greeting." Mana said sarcastically. "If it's not too much to ask sensei, I would appreciate it if you didn't look at me as though I was some sort of stranger. I may not show it but I do have feelings."

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I just... er..."

"Start by calling me Mana." She cut him off with a chilling smirk. "So you're on World Tree patrol as well sensei?"

"Um, y-yeah! I am." Negi replied sheepishly. He decided to try and mend things between them as quickly as he possibly could. There was something about the way she was looking at him that unnerved him very much. Her eyes held an enigmatic property that her just couldn't stand and it held a sense of danger. "You know, I never thanked you for the time you helped in the past. I just wan-"

"Don't worry about it sensei. I'm happy to assist as long as the pay is good." Mana left her jacket on the rail and set down her guitar case. "You could say that I'm a gun for hire. Still..." She grinned at him. "I don't envy you sensei. I must say though that you've changed from the last time we met on the trip. In many ways in fact."

"Have I?" Negi massaged the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. _You don't know the half of it Mana-san...although with the way you're looking at me I can't say that I'm sure of myself either._

Their conversation was interrupted when Mana's confession tracker suddenly went on alert. The young woman pulled it out to see what was the problem before snatching up her guitar case quickly. She reverted from her laid back nature to all business within the blink of an eye but for some reason Negi was much more comfortable with the way she was now than when she was conversing with him. His opinion of her, however, was about to take a drastic change when he saw, first-hand how she went about her manner of taking care of business.

"Come on!" Mana kicked off from the rail and sent herself flying towards a nearby bell tower that overshadowed most of the plaza. Negi grabbed her jacket and wasted no time in doing the same, meeting her inside the keep of the bell tower just in time to see her open her guitar case and pull out her rifle. His eyes widened with fear when he saw her attach the scope and crouch near the ledge to take aim.

"H-hey Mana-san! What are you doing?!" He cried out but she ignored him. He tried to follow her line of sight only to find that he already missed two shots. He heard two quick shots and a male student and a mascot were down. The girls they were about to confess to screamed in horror and called for some help. There was a stir amongst the crowd below and all Mana did in response to her own actions was to sigh in relief and say, "I got them." She noticed the horrified look on Negi's face and raised an eyebrow before asking. "What?"

"That's a fine way if you ask me." Chachazero praised the marksmen. "Perhaps you can give master some lessons?" She said hopefully despite Negi's opposition towards it.

"What?! Did you just ask me "What?!" Negi started to flail his arms. "You just shot two innocent people and you ask me, what?!"

"It's not like I killed anybody." Mana opened one of the pouches attached to her guitar case and picked out a rubber bullet for him to see. "See, rubber bullets. From this distance the most they will do is knock a target out cold. Perhaps there will be a bruise but there is no danger of a concussion or head trauma should I go in for a headshot or two."

"O-or two?!"

"Some of those mascot suits are hard to take down." Mana simply answered. "Now, in some cases I just use tranq darts. These are just as harmless, however, they are laced with a paralysis agent just to put them out long enough for the festival to end."

"It's still not right!" Negi flinched when she glared at him.

"I'm just doing my job. It's my duty to make sure there are no confessions of love in this area. If I intend to serve my client the best I can my concerns are of no issue to me. Now, if you feel that you have a better solution then make my life easier, huh?" Mana set her rifle back in the guitar case and snapped in just before placing her hands on her hips expectantly. She waited for Negi to say something but the young magi was so paralyzed with fear that he could only utter a squeak.

"Well sensei? Will you teach me your ways?" She persisted.

"U-uh..." Negi found it hard to say anything under her gaze but he finally pushed aside his fear. "Of course I will Mana-san! Just come with me!" Without warning he took her hand in to his own. The action was so unexpected that for once in her life Mana didn't know how to react. Nobody ever dared to touch her in such a way and for Negi to do it was simply...unimaginable.

_You can only be two things at this very moment sensei: Daring or simply oblivious... _Mana bowed her head slightly when she felt her cheeks burning. _For me to even be feeling this way...for another person to make me feel this way after all this time. You seriously don't want me to grow attached to you sensei. It may not be good for your health at all. _Mana considered slipping her hand out of his politely but Negi jumped down from the bell tower and took her with him before she could do anything. As they descended to the plaza below, Mana could almost picture herself as a young girl again. She felt memories from the past welling in her mind, however, the feeling of the floor under her feet again made her snap out of it.

"Sensei..." Mana started as she pulled her hand away from him. "Next time I'm sure I can do it myself." Her words came out rather coldly and Negi immediately apologized.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Mana-san!" Negi bowed to her but the confession tracker interrupted them yet again. Mana realized that she left her guitar case in the tower keep and sighed, "There are two more sensei. Now's your chance to show me the way it's done."

"Alright then! Just lead the way!" Negi perked up quickly.

"Will do." Mana took off running with Negi following behind steadily and they took cover behind a bush near a young couple standing beside a large white staircase. It was a boy wearing a polar bear costume and a girl wearing a cute sailor outfit with a ribbon hat to match. They started off with some simple exchanges until the both of them fell silent. They simply stared at each other for a while and Mana nudged Negi in the arm.

"Better act now sensei." She pushed him.

"Alright. Just watch." Negi pointed at the girl much like Mana would with her rifle and chanted, "Flans Exarmatio!" A moment later an unexpected breeze kicked up and the girl's hat was blown off her head. Mana watched without a word as the girl asked the boy to assist her and they were off chasing her hat in to a safe distance. "See?" Negi gestured to the young couple as they finally caught up with the hat when it caught on to a bush. The girl thanked the boy and they were at it again with the awkward silence until the boy finally worked up the courage to confess.

"Huh..." was Mana's only reply to his words but the sensor went on alert again. She grinned when she found yet another chance to test Negi's skills. "Lets go sensei. Let's see you work some more of your magic, hmm?" To her surprise the young magi didn't even hesitate to proceed; grabbing ahold of her hand yet again. She wasn't sure if he was aware that he was doing it or not but for some odd reason a pleasant feeling managed to settle within her. They stopped when they spotted the couple, donning neko-jin suits for the festival. She watched, as Negi was able to divert their attention with his magic to send them away and chuckled to herself.

"I have to admit that I'm impressed sensei." The young woman said with a nod. "I can now see why Kaede and Setsuna speak so highly of you. For once I just wanted to experience it for myself." She ruffled his hair as they both stood up from the cover of the bushes and added, "And perhaps you will show me even more during the tournament."

"Oh, yeah...I almost forgot about that." Negi massaged the back of his neck nervously. He was still recovering from the unexpected contact from Mana. He couldn't believe that they were actually having this much time together. She was usually so distant before but now that he had her attention he wanted to know more about her. "Mana-san-"

"Drop the honorific sensei. It isn't necessary." The marksmen cut him off with a casual wave of her hand.

"Um...alright. Well, I just wanted to know how you know so much about the magic world." Negi took a seat with her on a fountain side before going on. "I mean...you don't seem to be a magic user so why take on jobs from wizards?"

"So you want to know more about me sensei? Is that what your asking?" Mana asked, not one to dawdle from the point. Her words made Negi blush in embarrassment as he nodded to confirm that it was his motive.

"You're a skilled shooter with a sniper rifle and a handgun. Besides that you attend clubs in Mahora instead of the selections they offer at your own school."

"...So you really are curious, huh?" Negi caught a somewhat dejected tone in her voice and raised an eyebrow. Was this subject really that uncomfortable for her? He didn't want to force her in to something she wanted nothing to do with so he attempted to stop her but she raised her hand up to calm him.

"In the past I was the partner of a magister myself." Mana started off. She saw the surprised look on Negi's face and grinned. "Does that surprise you?"

"Y-yeah, it does!"

"He and I were under a non-governmental organization that helped various parts of the world whenever it was in dire need. I've traveled to many places by his side." Mana started to get lost in her own world as she continued. She closed her eyes as she spoke and suddenly she was so passionate with her words that Negi almost got lost in her memories himself. "It was one battlefield after another but the more I was with him the more I had grown to love it."

"So where is this wizard these days?" Negi asked curiously.

Mana had a blank expression on her face for a moment as her hand reached up to the locket hanging from the necklace around her neck. She held it to Negi and opened it to reveal a picture of a man with grey messy hair and a scar over his right eyebrow. Mana's eye were identical to his in their mysterious and piercing quality. He didn't expect her answer to his question to be, "He died two years ago."

"O-oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to pry tha-" Negi died out in mid-sentence when Mana began to giggle lightly. She placed a hand on his head again before ruffling his hair again and said, "I was just kidding! This is just a picture of the Biathlon team captain." Her words managed to calm the young magi.

"Yet...that would mean you have a thing for him, right?" Chachazero suddenly decided not to be so idle anymore.

"Don't tell me you joined the team just because he was captain..."Negi said with a grin.

"Not much gets by you, huh?" Mana lied with a grin of her own. She ruffled Negi's hair yet again, convincing him that she may well indeed be enjoying doing that. By now his hair may have been a mess. Negi opened his mouth to say something but the confession scouter went on alert, putting a stop to their conversation again. He watched as Mana's eye widened with shock, telling him that this wasn't going to be an easy intervention.

"Um w-what's up?" Negi asked nervously.

"It would seem that we have a special case this time." Mana said grimly as she pointed forward. Negi followed where she was directing his sight and saw a group of male students coming their way with flowers and other items to win the marksman over. "I'm the target this time."

"Oh...what do we do?!" Negi cried out in horror.

"Well, I left my things in the bell tower so I can't so much." Mana replied with a smirk. "I leave my fate all in your dependable hands sensei."

"Are you s-serious?!"

"Are you getting weak on me?"

"O-of course not!" Negi looked around for something to distract the men with but there was nothing in sight. He was going to have to take a much more different approach this time and since Mana was already quite familiar with magic then it would be alright to go on with it. He grabbed Mana's hand, causing the young woman to raise an eyebrow being that it was becoming sort of a habit for the boy, and lead her away from the group of male students coming their way. The young men saw the young magi leading her away and felt the need to express their displeasure.

"HEY! WAIT UP!"

"WHO's THE LITTLE GUY ANYWAY!"

"HEY! TATSUMIYA IS MINE!"

...There was an awkward silence as all the young men turned their attention to the bold member of the group who uttered those words. Needless to say a dispute broke out, giving Negi all the time that he needed. It was turning out to be some sort of death match as all the young men battled for supremacy over the chance at pouring their heart out to the lovely marksman. The fight ended, however, when Mana appeared before them again. What posed a problem for them was the appearance of another young man with red hair.

"Who are these guys Mana-chan?" Negi asked her with a grin that threatened to crack under her piercing gaze. He figured this would be the best way to discourage any of her admirers but it was kind of hard to play it along with Mana when she stared at him so intensely.

"I have no idea." Mana's cold words shattered all of their hopes and dreams. She linked her arm with Negi's and led him away from the depressing scene all the while resting her head on his shoulder, which sent all of the other young men in an even deeper pit of rejection. The magi was almost turning crimson at the way Mana decided to proceed with the plan. They both agreed that it would be quick and simple but she was taking it to the next step.

"Um...Mana-san?" Negi whispered to her so the glaring young men wouldn't hear the change in addressing her.

"I told you to just address me as Mana." She told him.

"Oh yeah...er...sorry about that. I think it's okay to stop playing along now."

"Who's playing along anymore?" Mana asked in a deep husky voice that sent shivers down his spine. She noticed the type of reaction she got out of him and laughed. "I'm just kidding sensei. Whichever girl it is that's got you so worked up if it's being a magister that you're aiming for then you have no time for love." She pulled her head back from his shoulder and continued walking with him arm in arm. "This is a nice look for you though."

"Th-thanks." Negi blushed again. _It looks like she does have a sense of humor after all...but I'd appreciate if she'd stop teasing me so much! She's going to give me a heart attack! _His stroll with the marksman came to an end when Kotaro came out of one of the shops they were passing by on the plaza. The boy saw the 'couple' passing and did a double take before crying out, "Hey!"

Negi realized that he had been found out and waved the dog demon away with a panicked expression. This was not the place for him to be exposed. There were too many people around for that to happen and what would happen if any of his students were around? Kotaro didn't seem to get the message though as he ran to the two of them and asked, "What's this? What are you two doing walking together like this?"

"Patrolling business." Mana simply answered before looking at her watch. She finally pulled her arms away from Negi when she saw the time and said, "Looks like you've ended your shift. My second shift has just started."

"Great...that took more out of me than I thought." Negi said with a sigh. His words managed to get a smile out of Mana.

_Heh, I have to admit that I'm becoming rather fond of you sensei. I better be careful not to become too attached or it may interfere with my work._

"You're alright in my book sensei." She ruffled his hair in total disregard for the adult form he had taken on. "Well. I've got to go back to work then. I enjoyed having your company..." She turned to walk away but she stopped again before turning back to regard Negi. "Try not to let girls hurt you so much alright? You'll start to lose your edge and it'll hurt your work. Consider than a warning." With those final words she was off.

Kotaro who was still confused as to how their 'arm-in-arm' tactic had anything to do with patrolling business blurted out, "What the heck went on between you two anyway?! That girl is just creepy."

"Even now...I have no idea." Negi replied blankly, unconsciously running his hand through his hair.

"And what's this stuff about girl's that she was yammerin' about?" Kotaro asked, putting his hands on his hips with a suspicious look gracing his face.

"E-er nothing!" Negi assured him despite the images of Nodoka and Takane that ran through his mind when Mana warned him. He still had to settle the whole complication with Takane and he was desperate to see how Nodoka was doing. He found himself in deep thought, leaving his friend to fume at being ignored yet again.

"HEY! Snap out of it already!" Kotaro snapped his fingers but Negi still didn't seem to pay much mind to him. He flinched when the young magi turned to him without warning and cried out, "I have to see Eva!" With those words he was off as well.

"Er...why would he want to see that demon?"

* * *

They were all so happy and full of life. They all laughed and messed around with each other in their little cliques and why not? It was the Mahora festival so they had a right to have so much fun but it didn't stop it all from annoying a certain vampiress. So many years she had been bound to the campus grounds and she had to go through the same thing every year but with the World Tree Legend on the loose it just got a bit worse. First she kind of liked the festival. It was a decent change from all her tireless traveling around the world but now...

"It's just so boring." Evangeline muttered with a sigh from her seat on a bench facing some amusement stands. She saw a couple arguing when the young man's gaze lingered on one of the passing cosplay members and sighed again. "I'm gonna kill Negi for leaving me like thi-"

"Hey master!" Negi's voice broke the chibi-vampire out of her own world. She turned to the source of the voice to find the young magi running to her with Chachazero on his shoulders and raised an eyebrow intriguingly. This had to be one of those rare times that her disciple actually came looking for her as opposed to the other way around. Unfortunately he only did that whenever he had a problem or if he wanted something from her.

...She feared for him if it was the latter because she was in need of venting some frustration.

"Calling me master again?" Evangeline questioned maliciously.

""I-I mean Eva!" Negi said, taking a seat beside her. "I'm so glad that I found you!" He blinked when Evangeline turned her head away from him. She was exhibiting some odd behavior right now and it was worrying him in more ways than one. "Er...are you alright Eva?"

"What kinda stupid question is that?"

"Um...I don't understan-" His voice squeaked when she turned her gaze upon him.

"You don't remember?" Evangeline trailed her hand on to his shoulder and flicked him across the side of his head before going on, "You ditched me earlier just in case you've forgotten."

"Oooooh, that!" Negi slammed his closed right hand over his left as the memory washed over in his mind. Unfortunately the thought of Nodoka made him remember his unfortunate encounter with a certain blonde magistress before everything went black. "I-I'm sorry about that!"

"You're voice wavered...why?" A look of suspicion flashed across her face.

"Um...n-no reason."

"There it goes again."

"Erm...i-it's just because...I'm n-nervous!" Which wasn't exactly a lie if you think about it...

"Nervous about what?"

"The tournament!" Negi managed to pull out another lie.

"I see." Evangeline smirked. "Which reminds me. Preliminaries are near."

"That they are."

Silence...

"So..." Evangeline gestured to him with her hand to get him to say something but nothing came out so she decided to push on herself. "Why are you so glad that you found me anyway? That's pretty unusual."

"Now why would you say that?" Negi chuckled nervously.

"Because it is."

"Why can't I just be glad to see you?" Negi asked in genuine curiosity. "I mean...we are kind of like friends now, aren't we?" His words caught Evangeline by surprise and she had to turn away to hide the light blush that blossomed on her face. She thought the young magi was too afraid to even think of her as a friend.

"Friends?" Evangeline asked. "You think we're friends?"

"Well...I guess I could be wrong..." Negi started to sound rather unsure.

"No, you're not wrong." Evangeline turned back to him with a small smile. "I guess I could accept that for now."

"For now?" Negi didn't understand what she meant by that.

"Don't think to hard about it." Evangeline told him with a casual wave of her hand. "Just so you know, even though we're spending time together right now it doesn't change the fact that you have to spend an ENTIRE day with me if you don't best me in the tournament."

"Th-thats fine with me." Negi said with a quick nod. He looked down at the ground as the tension began to rise in him. He was going to have to take a whack at it sooner or later. Hopefully she wouldn't get too suspicious over his questions. "Eva?"

"What?"

"I-I just want to talk about this whole...biting thing." Negi willed himself to say as he closed his eyes in fear.

"I understand that it'll take you some time to actually bite someone." Evangeline said, rolling her eyes as she rested her chin in one hand. "We've gone over this numerous times already boya."

"No, no. Not that." Negi told her. He saw her eyes glimmer with some hope and feared that she was starting to get the wrong idea from his selection of words. "I-I just wanted to ask how the whole process is done." Again, she got the wrong idea as that oh so familiar, "Are you stupid?", expression came over her face.

"It isn't really that hard." Evangeline said slowly as she pointed to her left fang. "You just bite down and suck."

"No, no!" Negi found himself getting frustrated. "I mean about turning someone in to a vampire."

"Oh...that." the vampiress regarded him suspiciously for a moment. "...Why would you want to know for? You didn't already bite someone did you?"

"ME?!" Negi placed a hand on his chest with an innocent expression. "Come on..." Negi scoffed with a shooing gesture. "You already know how I feel about that."

"Yeah...I do." Evangeline said, not sounding quite convinced. "Which is why I'm rather intrigued by your question." She countered.

"It's just...that...you remember our last confrontation?"

"On Mahora bridge? Yeah, I remember."

"Well, you remember biting Makie and the others so they could slow me down, right?"

"Yes. Get to your point."

"Why aren't they vampires anymore?" Negi asked. It was something that was on his mind for quite while now and he figured the answer to that question would settle him down about his current situation...somehow. "I haven't noticed them craving anything and their aura's are pretty normal."

"Oh, they're still half vampires." Evangeline said with a grin. "That side of them will only awaken if I call upon them. Until then, their vampirism is sealed away like a sickness that won't show symptoms until a virus invades the body." Evangeline winked at him mischievously and quipped, "Got it?"

"...Sort of..." Negi got chills from the way she explained the entire thing. "I have one other question though."

"Sure..."

"Um, what would happen if I bit someone." Negi asked despite the voice in the back of his mind that pleaded him not to. "You know...since I'm still an underling."

"Well that person will be infected by the vampire gene but..." Evangeline paused as her suspicion arose again and asked, "Where are we going here?"

"Nowhere!" Negi assured her.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"Never!"

"You mean just like that doohickey from earlier? That sort of nothing?" Evangeline started to advance on him from her seat on the bench. Negi shuffled away from her every time she got closer until she had him against the hand rest keeping him from falling on the other side. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered with these sort of things sometimes. Luckily for him, Chachazero had something prepared just for this situation.

"Hey master Negi, isn't it almost time for the preliminaries? We better hurry before we get eliminated before we even get started!" The puppet blurted out to the point that some passing students glanced at them. Fortunately for the two vampires the announcement regarding the tournament overwhelmed the students so much that they rushed off to get a seat before it was too late.

_Oh, Chacha-chan...where would I be without you? _Negi thought in relief as Evangeline eased off of him but he yelped when she grabbed his hand and pulled him off the bench. "W-what's wrong Eva?!"

"You heard the puppet! Lets get going boya!" She commanded before rushing off with Negi in tow.

**_----------------------------------------------_**

**_The Mahora Tournament Preliminaries..._**

**_----------------------------------------------_**

"Where the heck is he?" Asuna tapped her foot impatiently as she awaited the arrival of the young magi with Setsuna, Ku-Fei, and Kotaro. Even now the crowd of fighters was growing because of the sudden increase of money for the reward to the winner fo the tournament. Kotaro was beginning to lose his cool as well and Setsuna was starting to worry. Ku-Fei on the other hand kept a confident smile on her face as she stared down at the stair steps leading up to the tournament grounds in wait for her disciple.

"Not worrying about disciple." She chirped excitedly. "He never let down before. I not expecting disappointment any time soon."

"If only we could be as sure." Kotaro said sarcastically.

"You aren't helping the mood much." Asuna quipped making Kotaro whip around to face her saying, "Well whaddya want me to do?! Get down on my knees and say a prayer?"

"That'll do just fine squirt!"

"Why I oughta-" He stopped dead in his tracks when Setsuna stepped between him and Asuna.

"Why don't the both of you save that energy for the ring?" The swordsman joined Ku-Fei in front of the steps and sighed to relax her muscles. "Negi-kun is going to be here soon. He has alot on his hands, mind you so be patient." Her words held true when moments later Evangeline appeared with Negi and glided up the steps before stopping in front of the two young women.

"Disciple!" The Chinese girl exclaimed as she reached for the unconscious boy but Evangeline immediately yanked him out of reach and growled, "Whoa! He's my disciple!"

"He my disciple first!"

"He lives with me." Evangeline retorted much to Asuna's displeasure.

"Temporarily!" Asuna jumped in. "As soon as this tournament is all good and done, he's moving back in with me and Konoka!" The red-head managed to yank the unconscious Negi away from both masters and had Setsuna help her stand him up. It seemed that he may have passed out during the frightful trip to the tournament grounds. Evangeline followed whatever means possible to get there on time after all...and that's saying a lot. The two girl turned away from tending to the young magi when Kazumi's voice rang out from within the arena.

"It's started!" Chachazero exclaimed from up top Evangeline's head.

**_-"Welcome Mahora students! Welcome all to the Mahora budokai!"-_** The photographer's words echoed throughout the entire tournament grounds. Negi stirred at the sound of her booming voice from the speakers outside and opened his eyes. "W-we're here?" He asked shakily as he prayed the answer would be yes.

"You're here Negi-kun." Setsuna assured him.

"Oh, thank gawd..."

"But since when is Kazumi and emcee?" Asuna questioned. "She never even told me that she was going to participate in any of the festival events." She turned her attention to Kotaro when the boy gasped and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Look at who's running the whole thing!" He pointed out to the large banner hanging in front of the arena entrance and everyone almost face faulted.

"C-Chao-san?!" Negi gasped in confusion as he got back to his feet.

**_-"And now I give you the owner of the Chao Bao Zi and sponsor of this tournament, Chao Lingshen!"-_**

"It would appear that our problem student is behind this." Setsuna observed with a nod. She still didn't like the vibes she was getting from the Chinese girl and her words about being related to Negi still lingered in her mind as a rotten memory. She was already in so much trouble with Gandolfini and the others so what was going on? Why would the magis even allow her to go this far with the festival?

"Let's move in and check it out!" Asuna declared, heading further in to the crowd of fighters. They saw Chao appear at the top floor of the arena with Kazumi by her side dressed in an elegant dress with deep sleeves. Evangeline saw that the usual innocent look that graced the Chinese girl's face was replaced with an unsettling smirk and crossed her arms with a grin of her own. She could already tell that this was going to be very interesting.

"Heh, looks like things have already gotten interesting while I was out." Mana's voice rang from behind. Negi and the others turned to regard the marksman and saw that Kaede and the twins accompanied her. At the sight of Kotaro the twins left the ninja's side and started to mess around with his dog-ears at his expense. "With the increase of the prize money I think the tournament might just get a tad bit more interesting."

"It would seem so. Nin, nin." Kaede grinned with her fox-like eyes. "I hope to see your best out there on the ring Negi-sensei."

"I won't disappoint Kaede-san!"

"And you Evangeline?" Mana inquired at the sight of the vampiress. "You intend to participate?"

"Why not?" Evangeline asked with a grin. "Some exercise would do me some good. It's about time I got to flex my fists." The grin on the chibi-vampires face fell when she felt a strong magi aura approaching them from the midst of the crowd. It was familiar to say the least so it was no surprise that she heard Takamichi's mellow voice.

"Negi-sensei, what a pleasure to see you here." The mage greeted with a smirk.

"Takamichi-sensei! Have you come here to watch?!" Negi asked excitedly. He really wanted Takamichi to see how much he had grown since the Kyoto trip. What the young magi didn't expect was for the mage's answer to be of a rather different nature.

"Actually-"

"H-hey! Why don't you just head out, huh?" Evangeline intervened nervously. The last thing she needed was for him to butt in on her plans. If anything, Takamichi wasn't going to allow Negi to face him without bringing out the beast. Her talks with him in the past had shown that he was eager to test out the young magi's skill. "Why would you be interested in this sort of thing anyway?"

"Well, I actually only meant to observe before but I promised Negi when he was younger that we would match our strengths against each other once he'd grown." Takamichi grinned around his cigarette and gestured to Negi's height. "So why not now?"

"I hate you." The vampiress growled.

"I know." Takamichi chirped.

This was sure going to make life a little harder for Negi. He already had to deal with his master and he already had doubts about besting her in a match. All her training in the past made that quite clear but now that Takamichi was in the tournament just got that much harder. Kotaro already looked bummed with the older teacher's decision and leaned over to Negi.

"Aw crap. First it's the demon girl and now you're damn hero just go in to it!" He hissed angrily. "We're never gonna get our hands on that money! Hell, it'll be a miracle if we even put a scratch on their bodies!"

"W-what are we going to do?"

"I-I don't know!" Kotaro's eyes wandered over to Evangeline for a moment. "Well her magic is sealed away right? S-so she's nothing but a ten-year-old girl! We can handle he-" Negi saw Kotaro shiver and turned to Evangeline. The evil look on her face said it all.

"For you to determine a person's skill solely on appearance is very foolish." She said darkly. "If you want me to prepare you for the butcher shop then give me the word." Chachazero couldn't help but nod her head a few times in pleasure at such words.

"Yep...she's still got it." The puppet cackled.

"Er...you know what..." Negi placed his hand on his stomach. "I suddenly don't feel too confident."

"LIAR!" Kotaro grabbed his friend by the shirt collar and rattled him a few times. "Don't wuss out on me now! We're going to fight whether we live or die!"

"W-what?!"

"I mean win or lose! WIN OR LOSE!" The two were so caught up in the madness that they hardly heard anything that Chao was saying to the audience. That was until Negi's ears perked up to something that got his full attention. Takamichi saw the young magi's eyes widen with surprise when the Chinese girl spoke her next words and grinned.

**_-"Before this tournament started to go downhill, the last great winner of this tournament was a child from a foreign land who just showed up at the academy one day."-_** Chao eyes wandered over the crowd until she got sight of Negi. She was expecting great things from him and she was sure that her next words would ensure that he wouldn't disappoint. **_-"His name was Nagi Springfield and at the time he was just ten years old."-_**

With that said and done the Chinese girl figured it was about time she took her leave and headed off to tend to her matters. She nodded to Kazumi, giving the young woman the message of taking it from there and entered the arena tower. Hakase and Chachamaru were awaiting her inside.

"May I assist in anything?" Chachamaru asked with a slight bow of her head.

"For now just monitor all the matches." Chao replied.

"Very well." The android complied as she turned to leave. Chao turned to her fellow scientist and smirked. "So far everything is going as planned. Mana will make sure that those other mages on watch won't interfere. As for our star player...he'll push some of our participants to the limit."

"Then I'll tend to the media mainstream." Hakase said before leaving the room. Chao nodded to herself with a grin as everything ran by smoothly. The tournament looked very promising and with Evangeline and Takamichi participating something was sure to go well. She turned to the shadows when she realized that she wasn't the only occupant in the room and chirped, "So you actually decided to come. I'm honored."

"How could I refuse when the great 'Evangel' is involved? I never would have suspected her to take on an underling." The feminine voice said with a chuckle from the darkness. "I also sense a dramatic change in you Ms. Lingshen. Care to share?"

"I just mended a few blood ties." Chao replied with a smirk. She stole a glance at the door leading out when she heard Kazumi announce the beginning of the preliminaries. It would have appeared that the match "Lottery" had already taken place. Inwardly she wanted to see Negi in action despite the weak opponents he would go up against so early in the tournament but she couldn't show any disrespect to her current guest. It was too dangerous. "So I assume that you're here to watch?"

"Why of course. I can't do much else since there are so many mages around." The shrouded woman chuckled. "As much as I would like to crush Evangel in my hands it would be much too risky. As for her underling...what was his name?"

"Negi Springfield."

"Ah...why does that name sound so familiar?"

"Perhaps because you are familiar with the Thousand Master, Nagi Springfield." Chao clarified for her before narrowing her eyes mischievously. "His father."

"Evangel managed to get her hands on Nagi's son? I heard stories about her being love struck by a very powerful mage, however, I hear that it was an unrequited fate. It would only be natural that she would simply chase after the son if she couldn't win over the father." The woman stepped out of the shadows, revealing gold eyes and long blonde hair. She had a striking figure and her midnight dress accentuated her curves rather well. She also sported a vampiric cloak that fell to the floor like an elegant carpet that trailed behind her. "That darkling's blood must be heavenly. I can't wait for the day that I get a taste of him."

"Don't worry. You will." Chao assured her.

**_-----------------------------------------_**

**_Turning to the participants..._**

**_-----------------------------------------_**

"Well then Negi..." Kotaro started off as he tossed his aging pill in the air before catching it in his hand. "...Time to change." He tossed the drop in the air again and allowed it to fall toward his mouth but Negi suddenly said, "There isn't an age limit anymore so I'm going as I am."

"YER CERLD ER TERLD ME EARLIER!" The dog demon growled through his gritted teeth as he kept the aging pill from falling in to his mouth.

"My father entered the tournament as a ten year old so I want to do the same!"

"Alright but as adults we have a longer reach and..." Kotaro shoved the pill back in to his pocket when he decided it was more of a challenge this way. "...Oh, what the heck. We might as well!"

"Come on master Negi! Let's get in there!" Chachazero cried out excitedly from the top of his head.

"Hey...do you think they'll let you bring her in there?"

"It's the preliminaries. I don't think they'll mind." Negi grinned innocently.

"Alright...I guess." Kotaro said hesitantly.

**_-Will Preliminary group "B" please report to the ring?! I repeat, Will Preliminary group "B" please report to the ring?!-_**

"Hey, that's us Negi!" Kotaro sounded fired up already.

"Let's go then!" Negi lead the way to the ring and the audience started to murmur and laugh at the sight of the two boys approaching the ring. Compared to the size of most of all the other competitors they gave the illusion of small fry. Negi was quite oblivious to all of it as his mind gradually started to stress over the fact that Evangeline and Takamichi were participating. Kotaro, however, saw this as his chance to get the jump on all the others. That was until...

"Well, if it isn't Kotaro." Kaede greeted him in her usual laid back fashion.

Kotaro swallowed hard when he saw the ninja. _Alright...now I'm feeling a bit nervous. _He entered the ring with Negi and a rather large man with bulging muscles looked the both of them down upon. He had an anchor tattoo on his shoulder and the smug look on his face was something that Kotaro was itching to wipe off.

"Heh, heh. Look at em'." The large man laughed. "I'll just pick you two off before ya get hurt."

**_-"Group "B"...FIGHT!"-_**

The entire crowd up on the stands went wild when Negi's first move was to eliminate the man that opposed him and Kotaro. Even the dog demon couldn't help but do a double take when Negi punched the man with such force that he was launched out of the ring. Both boys watched as the muscled brute smacked the ground near the stands, leaving a path of shambled floor tiles.

"...Maybe I went a little too far." Negi laughed nervously.

"Ya think?!" Kotaro glared at his friend.

**_-"This is unbelievable people! The young English teacher of Mahora just sent that huge man sailing out of the ring with a swift technique that was hardly seen by the naked eye!"-_** Announced Kazumi excitedly as the audience cheered. **_-"It is believable! We've just been informed that Negi is the first disciple of challenger Ku-Fei!"-_** Evangeline's ears perked up at that information and her left eye twitched in irritation.

"Negi is my disciple too!" the chibi-vampire growled jealously. She eyed a fighter who tried to sneak up from behind her and took him down with a leg sweep before kicking his fallen form out of the ring like a rag doll. Takamichi saw the sudden change in her attitude and grinned. It looked as though the photographer's words were really having some sort of effect on her. He played it off as though he wasn't looking at her when she whipped her head in his direction and took down another challenger with one of his quick punches.

"How are we doing over there Eva-san?" Takamichi asked as he heard some screams coming from behind his back.

"How do you think?!" Evangeline snapped after she smacked another fighter with her fan. "These preliminary participants are pathetic."

"OH YEAH?!" A spikey haired young man yelled as he tried to ambush the vampiress but she whipped around before he could reach her and delivered a palm shot to the stomach.

"Fool." she quipped but yet another fighter laid their hand upon her shoulder with a chuckle. She was beginning to hate the way people were judging her. Her eyes pierced the man's soul when she turned to face him and she grabbed his wrist tightly. "Remove your hand or I'll do it myself."

"AHHHHHHH!" The fighter could only scream as she practically swung him in an arc over her head and pinned him face done to the ground with one finger plunged deep in to a pressure point on his back. All feeling left his arms and legs, leaving him completely immobilized. He looked up at Evangeline's fearsome smirk and his bladder almost relieved itself.

"Best not to move." She cooed softly.

"I don't...think it's possi-"

**_-"AND IT'S OVAH FOLKS!"-_** Kazumi's voice drowned out the grunts and yells from the remaining sixteen fighters. **_-"Some believed it wasn't possible but the child teacher of Mahora moves on to the final rounds! Well done everyone! With this our sixteen finalist have been selected!"-_**

"That was nothing." Kotaro said cockily as he joined Negi by his side with a grin. "What do you think Negi?"

"Well that last guy actually hit me with some sort of fireball..." Negi said, rubbing the cheek that got struck.

"...So?"

"...I was just saying." Negi said dejectedly. He didn't care what anybody said; the fireball really stung. _Wow...look at me. The fireball stung...man that must sound pathetic. _Negi massaged the back of his neck with a awkward chuckle before looking over the finalist to see his master standing beside Takamichi. He waved at her to tell her that he passed on even though Kazumi made it rather clear and he was delighted to see her grin in response.

"She looks pleased." Negi smiled to himself before a doom feeling swallowed up all his happiness. Winning meant that he would have to face her sooner or later. Well...if he got past Takamichi anyway. "Oh...well of course she would be happy. She probably wants to sweep the floor with me later anyway." His eyes darted over to Takamichi and his stomach did flips. "I hope I don't go against-"

**_-"The match ups have been decided at random by the tournament committe! Please turn your attention to the listings!"- _**Kazumi announced loudly, gesturing to the holo-board at the side of the ring. Negi's eyes shrunk to mere specks when he saw whom he was up against. He could swear that some deity in the heavens was laughing at him because his first opponent was none other than-

"Hey Negi! HEY, are you alright!" Kotaro freaked out when he friend fainted.

**_--------------------------------------_**

**_Starbooks Cafe..._**

**_--------------------------------------_**

Everyone danced and mingled with each other happily as the entire class of 3-A celebrated the ending of the first festival day at the cafe. The girls were excited at the fact that Negi and their classmates moved on to the final rounds. Negi on the other hand couldn't possibly feel any worse due to all the stress that was on his mind. He knew that he wasn't going to have it easy during the festival but this was just ridiculous! First he had the situation with Takane and now he was about to face some of the most intimidating mages he ever met and possibly Mana to boot.

"Why the long face, huh?" Evangeline asked as she joined Negi at the lone cafe table near the corner. The young magi had his chin resting in one hand with an untouched drink at his side. Chachazero was sitting at the edge of the table writing in some sort of journal and the vampiress spied some illustrations of Negi and another person that suspiciously resembled the puppet.

She decided not to inquire about the contents...

"You should be happy that you got through the preliminaries." Evangeline told the magi.

"...It's not that." Negi sighed

"Then what is it?"

"I've just got a lot on my mind." was his only reply.

"Well, do you want to talk about it?" Her words caught Negi by surprise. She was actually willing to help him through his anxieties? If only the situation was different, he'd be more than happy to tell her but for now he could only shake his head.

_Eva seems to be getting a bit nicer towards me._ He observed with a small smile.

"What are you smiling about?" Evangeline asked, blinking a few times.

"N-nothing."

"I've been getting that answer way too many times from you today." She said sounding a bit miffed. "It looks like you don't trust me with anything."

"No, no! You've got it all wrong!" Negi assured her as he placed his hand over her own to keep her from leaving. It took him a moment to realize that he was actually touching her and he snatched his hand away quickly in fear that she might take it the wrong way. "I-I'm sorry about that."

"You didn't do anything wrong boya." Evangeline told him with a grin. "I'm actually kind of pleased that you're starting to loosen up around me. Um..." She averted her eyes for a moment as she chose her words carefully. "...Do you wanna go someplace else?"

"What do you mean?" Negi asked curiously.

"I mean do you want to leave the cafe and join me somewhere else. All of this noise is starting to irritate me." Negi had to think about it for a while. He still had a few things to attend to in the past and he really started to feel the fatigue getting to him. On the other hand this was a rare chance to actually spend some time with his master that didn't seem to involve training or trouble for the matter. Besides, he could always turn back time after he was done with her.

"Sure." Negi answered much to his master's delight.

"Lets blow this place then." Evangeline said as she got up. Negi followed her after Chachazero settled down on is shoulder and they headed toward the exit. All the girls watched curiously as the two vampires passed them and some of them were actually willing to stop Negi from leaving but someone else managed to do the job for them.

"...NO..." Negi choked when he saw Takane and Mei walk in to the cafe. The blonde magistress saw him and Evangeline together and a scowl came over her lovely face. _This isn't good! This isn't good at all! _He stole a glance over at Evangeline to see her reaction and to his horror there was an evil grin on crossing her lips.

"I guess your friends must have heard." Evangeline said to him.

"Heh, heh...looks like it." Negi laughed nervously.

"Good evening Negi." Takane greeted him as she and Mei approached them. "We heard about the preliminaries. I had no idea that you decided to participate." A look of suspicion washed over her face. "It's vexes me that you had so much time between that little date and your hospital visit."

"Hospital visit?" Evangeline asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um yeah...you see...Takane got hurt." Negi explained.

"Really?" She mused. "How?" She flinched when Negi suddenly held her hand.

"You know what?! That's not really important!" Negi lead her past Takane and Mei much to the two girl's displeasure and they left the cafe.

"What's going on here?!" Evangeline demanded when they were outside.

"I-I'll explain everything when we're somewhere private!" He missed the light blush on her face when he said that.

"...Alright boya."

Takane and Mei watched their fleeting forms through the glass doors of the cafe and the blonde magistress fumed.

"How dare he..." Takane growled.

"Hey onesan I'm sure he was just trying to protect us." Mei patted her on the back. "Evangeline looked like she was up to somethi-WHOA!" Mei jumped away from her superior when one of the glass doors of the cafe shattered in to tiny shards. "H-hey! Are you alright?!" She asked but Takane had a distant look on her face as her mind processed what just happened. She rubbed the side of her face when she felt an odd sensation from both sides of her upper jaw and gasped, "W-was that me?!"

The cafe owner looked at her oddly and she perked up quickly.

"I-I m-mean...what was that?!"

**_To Be continued..._**

_I'm so sorry for the delay! That took me longer than I ever expected it to! I've been getting this annoying case of Writer's block for the past week and I feel completely blank of ideas. I've tried writing chapters for my other fics and I get the same feeling...I guess I need some inspiration. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter...even though I sense something missing from it...oh well! I promise the next chapter will be much stronger in those missing elements!_

_Till next time,_

**_Traingham..._**


	17. In a tight Spot

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters…

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Seventeen: Exceeding the Seal_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

Candles illuminated the room and the colors from the stained glasses reflected off the floor from the lights. Negi found himself seated at the end of a long dining table, staring back at a young woman who looked close to her early twenties. Her hair was a silverfish color and her eyes were the color of the sky when a storm was near. The magi had taken on his older persona and Chachazero was seated on his lap, looking back at the woman with him. From the looks of it they were having dinner together.

_This sure doesn't look like a place any normal person would live in. _Negi thought as he observed the dining room. It seemed more as though they were eating in a room one would find in a church. The entire place was completely taken care of. The marble was practically glittering in the burning flames from the candles and the gothic designs were flawless. It did well to unsettle Negi but Chachazero felt right at home for obvious reasons. Surely Evangeline had come across places like this when she was on her travels in the past.

"So...Mr. Springfield, you said?" The woman asked in a melodic voice that sounded soothing to Negi's ears.

"Yes. That's my name, miss." Negi replied with a nod of his head.

"What brings you here to this town?" She asked as she picked up her fork and knife. Negi was hesitant in answering her question. Evangeline had told him that he needed to be careful with whom he spoke to. This was especially true when there were other vampires in the world who would give anything to know her current situation. If they knew that she was weak from the curse they would all strike at once while she was down.

"I happened to be coming through is all." Negi replied before quirking an eyebrow. "Excuse me for being rude but I haven't even asked your name."

"Please, the rudeness was all my own. I should have introduced myself when I met you outside." She assured him with a light teeter that made shivers run down Negi's spine. Something wasn't right about this woman. He could feel some darkness emanating from her aura in wild vibes but she was suppressing it somehow, almost as though she was keeping it all in to hide something. "My name is, Lucinda McVicar. I am the mistress of this mansion." Her eyes wandered over to Chachazero before meeting his. "And I can see that you are something special."

"Special?"

"Yes. You are a wizard aren't you?" She asked, the soft smile never leaving her face. That sure was something he didn't expect her to say.

"Yes...I am."

"But you're more than that." She went on, making Negi swallow hard. This woman definitely was more than she let up herself. The more he thought about it, the more the feeling he felt from her started to bother him. It felt so familiar in an eerie way...it reminded him of his master. Her next words struck him hard. "You see, you and I aren't so different from each other."

"You're a wizard as well?" Negi asked hopefully. Maybe he could ask her about the counter balance curse for Evangeline.

"No, young one." Lucinda replied with a shake of her head. "I am one of the dark mistresses."

"Y-you're a-a vampire?!" Negi asked in shock.

"Is it so surprising?"

"Y-yes."

"Surely you felt our aura's resonating with each other right? I sensed you when you were approaching the town."

"So that's why you were out to greet me." Negi reasoned.

"Exactly." Lucinda replied with a chilling smirk. "However...you are still quite special for another reason."

"I don't understand."

"Yes you do." She told him. "You are still an fledgling and yet you exhibit the power of a full fledged vampire. It's only a wonder how powerful you may become when you take the step to cleansing yourself in the pools of your bloodlines." She got out of her seat and proceeded to walk over to his side of the table. Negi tensed when she stood behind his seat and placed both of her hands upon his shoulders. The feeling from her now was as though she was pulling him in to her aura. He felt the muscles on his arm tense at her gentle touch as her fingers trailed up and down his shoulders.

"I would advise that you take your hands off my master." Chachazero suddenly growled when she noticed how uncomfortable Negi had become. "You are disturbing him."

"I-It's okay Chacha-chan." Negi whispered to her.

"A puppet for a familiar?" Lucinda backed away from Negi's seat and stood beside him. This was the first time that the puppet had decided to voice her feelings. She was under the impression that Negi kept the puppet around as a charm or memento. Suddenly a feral grin crossed her lips for a moment before reverting back to her serene smile. "Such complex magic is rare and quite hard to sustain .In fact, I only know of one person who is well known for this sort of thing and for you to be endowed with such abilities makes things rather...interesting."

_...I'm beginning to wonder if coming here was ever a good idea... _Negi thought nervously. He knew Evangeline had many enemies and most wizards he met were able to tell immediately whom he was associated with through his intimate connection with his familiar. This woman was a "Dark mistress" and in this case...he wasn't sure if she was a safe person to be around.

"You're Evangeline's successor aren't you? There could be no other reason why you're so powerful...and my fangs are tingling..." Her eyes glazed over when they pin pointed his neck. Negi was disturbed when she let out a long, wistful sigh. "...You must be heavenly to taste." Negi detected a lustful quality in her voice when she spoke her last words and the feeling of her breath on his head made the hairs all over his body stand.

"Um, excuse me." Negi tried to stand up from his seat but she rushed over to him and pushed him back down on to his seat before he could go anywhere. She was so quick, so unwilling to allow him to leave.

"Please don't be so quick to leave! It's been a while since I've had such a guest, not to mention a fellow nosferatu. You simply **_MUST_** keep me company for the night." She slipped her hands over his left hand and held it softly against her cheek. This did nothing short of sending Negi into a most awkward state.

_What ever happened to the guests who weren't vampires? _Negi was tempted to ask but his better judgment told him not to inquire about such things. Right now he was in some dangerous territory. He was residing in a Dark mistress's residence and something told him that this was going to be a long night...

"Please don't refuse me." Lucinda pleaded him. "This mansion is in need of some new life."

"...Do I have a choice?" Negi mumbled.

* * *

**_Mahora Festival: Evening two of Day one..._**

The last time Negi ever had a quiet night with Evangeline was that fateful night of his first full moon. They spent most of the night sitting together near the World Tree talking about random things that went about their mind. It was also the first time that he ever saw the other side of his master, the side that she kept hidden from the world. Now he was sharing a similar moment with her on the rooftop of one of the bell towers that overshadowed the plaza. The two of them had not spoken to each other for a while since they settled themselves there and Negi kept on stealing glances at her ever few minutes as he stroked the Cassiopeia in his right hand. He really felt that it was time he told her about the little gift that Chao had given him. Setsuna, Asuna and Konoka already knew about it so he figured that letting Evangeline in on it wouldn't do any harm. They practically lived with each other and she didn't want him to keep any secrets from her anyway.

_Except for Takane. That's something that I really don't think she'll be okay with._ Negi cringed inwardly at the thought of how she would react to that sort of information. He looked back at Evangeline and flinched when she was looking dead at him. She wasn't reading in to his thoughts was she? There was really only one way to find out. "So you're probably wondering about the whole situation back there, huh?" the young magi asked awkwardly.

"I'd appreciate it if you explained this whole mess." The vampiress said, crossing her arms over her chest. She pulled her legs up to her arms and looked back at him expectantly. "How did Ms. Goodman end up in the infirmary and more importantly, why did you take the time out of your day to visit her? Then there's this whole gap that seems to clash with everything you've done because you managed to participate in the tournament despite these mysterious activities you've been tending to on the side."

"See...there's an explanation for all that."

"I would sure hope so." She retorted darkly as her eyes glowed brilliantly in the moonlight. Her eyes wandered over to her disciple's right hand when he held the handheld time machine out in front of her. She recalled it from the time she met him during his date with Nodoka. She quirked her eyebrows when she returned her attention to him and asked, "This little watch has something to do with all of this?"

"Yeah."

"How is that?" She asked curiously.

"Well...you might not believe me..."

"Stop stalling and tell me already." Evangeline urged him with a sigh.

"This watch is a time machine." Negi finally managed to get out. He half expected her to kick him off the roof of the bell tower. Instead she simply stared at him and the watch before returning her gaze back to him. It was quite obvious that the watch had some magical properties. The vampiress felt it the first time she found Negi with it earlier but surely it wasn't so capable of such things!

"You expect me to believe that? Even if that's true, it doesn't explain how you got your hands on something so forbidden! Turning back time is a very high offense in the world of magic boya." Evangeline placed her hand over the watch in Negi's hand and grinned. "It looks like I may be rubbing off on you after all."

"I-I'm serious!" Negi tried to convince her but the look on her face showed that she wasn't taking him seriously.

"Chao-san gave it to me as a gift! I have the manual to work it and everything!"

"Chao? You mean Lingshen?" Negi noticed that the quality in Evangeline's voice had changed considerably at the very mention of the Chinese scientist. "...When did you two become so close?" She leaned over so quickly that their noses brushed each other.

"W-what do you mean?!" Negi leaned away but it was impossible to get far enough from her since their hands were linked with each other between the watch.

"She gave you this as a gift. Surely that means that you two have become somewhat close, right?"

"She gave it to me for defending her, that's all!"

"Defending her from what?"

"Gandolfini. He was about to arrest her but I wouldn't allow him to so he let her go free." Negi answered quickly. "She gave this to me as a way to show her appreciation."

"A time machine of all things?!"

_There's something wrong about this...If he received this from Lingshen then it really must work but why would she give him something so extraordinary? _Evangeline's eye narrowed in interest when something became apparently clear to her. If this was a time machine then perhaps... "You're telling the truth right?!" The urgency in her voice caught Negi off guard.

"Y-yeah!" Negi replied before feeling the Cassiopeia get ripped out of his hand. He reached for it when she took it away from him but she used her other hand to grabbed ahold of his forehead to keep him back. "H-hey, Eva! What are you doing?!"

"Do you realize the things you can do with this wonderful creation?!" Evangeline's eyes took on a child like gleam. She had the power of the gods in the very palm of her hand and the possibilities were simply overwhelming! She could go back and change things! She could prevent certain things from happening! "Think about it Negi!" Now the young magi knew something was clicking in his master's mind for her to call him by his name.

_E-Eva-chan...you seriously can't be thinking of doing what I think you're trying to do. _Negi started to feel a pang of guilt for reasons he couldn't comprehend. To see his master so excited was something that filled him with warmth but he knew that what she may have been pursuing couldn't be fulfilled. "Eva." He said her name somberly but she wasn't listening to him at all.

"M...Master!" Negi called loudly to get her attention but the vampiress was still lost in her own world. "MASTER!" He practically threw himself on her to get the watch from her. Evangeline, who wasn't expecting the action at all could only look back at him in surprise as he hovered over her. Their faces were a mere two inches from each other and Negi had one hand on her wrist and the other planted by the side of her waist.

"...Negi?" She questioned oddly. "What are you doing?"

"Eva, what are you thinking of doing?" Negi asked sadly. The dejection in his voice made Chachazero shiver. She didn't like it when Negi felt this way. She didn't like it when Negi's spirits were down in any way at all. Evangeline on the other hand couldn't help but take in a sharp breath at the way he spoke her name. It was so different from the way he would usual say it. There was usually so much hesitation or a touch of awkwardness in his voice whenever her called her name but now it sounded...so mature.

"What type of question is that?" Evangeline retorted. "What do you think I'm planning on doing with this treasure?"

"You want to go back and avoid being cursed?" Negi asked.

Evangeline looked to the side when he asked that question and gripped the Cassiopeia tightly before replying, "...There are so many things I want to change besides that..." She blinked a few times as she got lost in deep thought. "You wouldn't believe Negi...but now that I've had time to think about it I'm not sure what to change anymore."

"What do you mean?" Negi slipped his hand up her wrist so he could wrap his fingers over the hand that held the watch.

"...It's nothing." She replied softly. _If I ever made the slightest change to the past, what would it do for my present? Would I be here at Mahora...more importantly, would I have met Nagi or you?_ Evangeline regarded him for a moment before an odd feeling started to boil up from within. She made him roll on to his back and pinned him against the roof instead. "What's your problem anyway?! Why are you trying to stop me?!"

"I don't want you to make a grave mistake!"

"Mistake?! What do you mean mistake?!" Evangeline arched her eyebrows and lowered her face towards his. "The only reason I'm stuck on this campus is because of my reckless mistakes! What's wrong with trying to fix them?!"

"B-because this artifact is unstable! It can't go beyond six months without the chance of some sort of malfunction!" Negi saw the look of interest on his master's face and went on. "If the Cassiopeia encounters some sort of error there's a chance that you could be locked in the ripples of time and space forever!"

"Seriously?"

"I mean it!" He let out a relieved sigh when she got off of him and took a seat beside his resting form. She looked at the miniature time machine and all of the excitement that filled her before fizzled away like a dying candle. The guilt all came down on the young magi at once. He knew that information would really let her down but it was better to see her this way than risking never seeing her again at all.

"Why do you care anyway?" Evangeline mumbled, holding the watch out to him. She was looking the other way so Negi couldn't see the expression on her face. "I torment you all the time. Wouldn't you be better off if I was gone forever anyway?"

"H-how...how could you even think that?" Negi was taken back by her words. "Do you really think I would be happy if you were gone?" His words were soft but the pain he felt from her words was like a needle slowly piercing his heart. After all this time they had spent together he thought she saw him as someone she could trust. She even said they were friends in the cafe earlier so how could she ever think he wanted her to just disappear? "Eva...could you please look at me?" He placed a hand on her shoulder to get her to turn his way but she did nothing.

"Come on Eva."

She made no attempt to respond...

"...Evangeline." He went on despite her stubborn front. "Without you I couldn't have possibly ever gotten this far. Sure we may have had our confrontations in the past but even then we've worked with each other whenever it went on for the best. I'll admit that I was pretty scared of you before but every day I spend with you allows me to get past this barrier you've placed around yourself and see the real Evangeline McDowell for what she truly is." He saw her tilt her head to the side but she still didn't face him. "Eva...I don't care what you've ever done in the past to attain the reputation you have now. Like I said, it's all in the past. Right now all I care about is the extraordinary person I've come to share a close bond with. A life without her just wouldn't ever amount to what I have come to treasure now."

"What?" Evangeline turned to face him.

"You heard me..." Negi swallowed hard as his mind caught up with his mouth. He seriously couldn't believe that he had the courage to say all that. It just wasn't like him to say such things so calmly. "...Whether you believe it or not...y-you're an important person to me." He saw her bow her head slightly when he finished and tried to get a good look at her face but she practically grabbed his face with her free hand and shoved him to the side. He was caught off guard by her unexpected action and fell to the side.

"Y-you...you're silly boya." Evangeline told him as she placed her hand on the side of her cheek. She inwardly cursed herself when she found them burning crimson. Her mind was still reeling from hearing him say those words. "Just take it." She tossed the watch to Negi and he scrambled to sit up and catch it before it could fall.

"A-are you alright?" Negi asked.

"Yeah…sure I am." Evangeline tried to reply in her usual manner but Negi heard a slight waver in her voice.

"Well, can you at least face me?"

"Erm..."

"You aren't...crying are you?" He asked unwisely. His words caused the vampiress to perk up quickly as she whipped around and punched him in the side. "O-OW! Negi's eyes went wide as he rubbed his side painfully. He saw the annoyed expression on Evangeline's red face and forced a nervous grin. _Not exactly the best choice of words I guess..._

"Me? Me crying?!" Evangeline grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him against her with an evil grin. "Why would I be crying for! Do you want me to cry?!"

"N-no! I want to see you smile." He managed to make her blink.

"Smile?"

"Yeah...I've never really seen you do that before."

"What do you mean?"

"Like a genuine smile. You know...not an evil one."

Evangeline sighed and let him go. "Boya...I don't really know when we actually reached the level where I could talk to you like this but...I guess it's a welcoming change."

"So will you smile for me?"

"W-what?!" Evangeline got flustered. "S-smile for what?!"

"Well, it's okay if you don't want to." Negi said dejectedly. "I mean...I know it's kind of a stupid request and all but I guess I was just a little curious to see how it was like." Negi heaved out a little sigh and stared at her for a while before looking down at the plaza below. His opened his mouth for a moment as if to say something but he closed it again. It seemed like the both of them were going to sit there in silence forever but to Evangeline's surprise Negi suddenly stood up and stretched with a yawn. "Do you want to go home?"

There. He said it again. He actually referred to her house as "his" home again and it made her feel some warmth inside. She regarded him for a moment, trying to sort out the thoughts that were rushing through her mind. There was something bothering her about the way she was feeling. It felt so familiar and yet somehow foreign at the same time or rather it was more like she was trying to convince herself that it was foreign. _Negi...who have you become over our weeks together? You really have transformed from the whining boy I met so long ago. _For a frightening moment Nagi stood in Negi's place as he held his hand out to her to help her up to her feet. She blinked in confusion as she accepted the welcoming gesture before hearing Negi blurt out, "M-master?!"

"Huh? W-what?" Evangeline broke out of her daze. She saw the shocked expression on her disciple's face and the curiosity got the best of her. "What is it boya?" She asked but he seemed to be at a loss for words. "Say something already! What happened?"

"Um...nothing." Negi replied as he turned away blushing.

"What do you mean nothing?! "Nothing" doesn't get a shocked reaction out of a person!" Evangeline retorted, making him face her again. His cheeks were still burning when she did and the vampiress started to get frustrated from being left in the dark about what happened but before she could voice her displeasure any further, Negi swept her off her feet and took off into the evening sky. "What do you think-"

"Just taking you home Eva!" Negi replied.

"What are you hiding from me?!"

"Nothing..." Negi replied as his eyes met hers. Evangeline looked away when he smiled at her. "It's just that you have such a beautiful smile."

"...W...W...What?" Evangeline's mind shut down. "LET G-GO OF ME!" She broke out of his arms clumsily without thinking about it and Negi caught her before she started to fall down below. The vampiress struggled in his arms again but he kept a firm hold on her. It seemed that Evangeline never had her share of teasing before. Either that or she was actually quite easy to unnerve.

"Whoa, be careful! There isn't a full moon out you, know?!" Negi felt his heart skip a beat when she fell out of his arms.

"Dummy!" Evangeline snapped.

"What's wrong?" Negi tried to fly properly but she was messing with his concentration.

"What did you say before?!"

"Nothing! I'm serious!"

"Stop lying!" Evangeline pouted with her arms crossed.

"I'm not lying."

"I'm serious boya!"

"I mean it!"

"Have it your way then."

"Hmm?!"

**_--------------------------------------------_**

**_Evangeline's Residence..._**

**_--------------------------------------------_**

"Here you are Negi-kun." Chachamaru cooed to him as she dapped his forehead with an ice pack. Evangeline fought with him as they were flying in an attempt to bring him under her control only to send the both of them plummeting towards one of the trees below. Being that Negi was holding her, he took most of the branches to the head. The android recoiled when Negi hissed at the stinging sensation and asked, "Do you wish for me to stop?"

"Y-yeah. Thanks Chachamaru." Negi told her as he forced a grateful smile. He winced when he felt a tiny hand touch his aching forehead and raised his eyes to see Chachazero stroking him soothingly. "Er...that's alright Chacha-chan."

"Master is always getting hurt." Chachazero mused with a light giggle. "Maybe I'll get to see more of these during the tournament, huh?!" The puppet asked excitedly. "I'm so excited I can hardly wait to see you in the ring, Master Negi!"

"I'm not so sure if I can share the sentiments." Negi bowed his head with a sigh. He lifted his head when Chachamaru overshadowed him and raised an eyebrow curiously when he saw the odd expression on her face. It had a child like quality that he'd never seen on her face before...and her uniform...he could have sworn she was wearing her maid uniform. Now she had on a black strapless dress that he had never seen before.

_Maybe Hakase bought it for her for one of the behavioral experiments she was conducting with her. _Negi thought to himself before he heard Chachazero ask, "What's going on? I've never seen you wear something like that before." The disturbance the puppet was feeling channeled through her words quite clearly.

"Negi-kun..."Chachamaru totally disregarded her chibi counterpart. "You haven't had something to eat yet have you?"

"Um, no...I haven't." Negi replied, getting lost in her emerald green eyes. Chachazero saw how entranced her master seemed and rolled her eyes to the side before giving his forehead a quick tap with her elbow. "O-ow." Negi rubbed the stinging little bruise as he snapped out of his stupor. "What's wrong Chacha-chan?"

"Don't we have things to do master?" She asked innocently as she pointed to her wrist for some emphasis. "You know? Time traveling?"

"O-oh! Thanks, I almost forgot about that." Negi stood up much to Chachamaru's displeasure. The android placed a hand on his shoulder and faced him with the best sad face she could put on. The look on her face crushed Negi's heart completely while making him wonder when Hakase gave her an upgrade for these things. "Ch-chachamaru?! Are you alright?!"

"Won't you at least have dinner with me before you leave?"

"I..."

Negi saw her lips quiver...

"I'll be honored to have dinner with you!" Negi answered quickly.

"Very well." Chachamaru said with an approving nod as she grabbed a hold of his hand. "Come with me." She took him with her to the dining room and had him take a seat in his respective spot beside on the left of Evangeline's chair. When he was seated, Chachazero hopped off from his shoulder on to the table and sat at the edge with a bored expression gracing her face. She seriously had no intention of letting her counterpart have it easy. The dress, the sudden expressions! Obviously the android had cut some sort of deal with Hakase or Chao to receive some modifications and clearly Negi was the reason why. The puppet had no idea what Chachamaru was cooking due to her inability to smell things but Negi seemed to be hungry enough to eat anything at the moment.

_Master has been so busy with his travels that he had no time to rest or eat. _Chachazero swung her legs back and forth as they dangled from the edge of the table and cocked her head to the side. _Perhaps it is because he's now a nocturnal that fatigue has yet to reach him. It brings up some very interesting possibilities._ She was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw the kitchen door to the dining room swing open. Chachamaru walked in with a steaming plate of food and she set it down in front of the young magi before taking her seat beside him. Negi suddenly felt his mouth watering uncontrollably as his eyes locked on to the delicious looking dish.

"W-wow! This looks delicious Chachamaru!" Negi complimented her with a big grin. "Instead of working for Chao-san, you should take up the idea of becoming a chef!" He noticed two rosy hues on her cheeks and he felt that he needed to ask her about these changes. "Um...Chachamaru?"

"Yes?" She asked.

"What's up with all of these changes, hmmm?" Chachazero asked the question for him before Negi could get another word out of his mouth.

"What ever do you mean?" Chachamaru asked innocently as she regarded her counterpart intensely.

"You seem so much more expressive now and your body...did you receive a new body job?!" Chachazero was determined to keep the android from seducing her master. He belonged to her and...Evangeline...maybe...but mainly to her! He was her master and she wasn't about to let the bond between them become distorted by some android.

"I...that is..." Chachamaru stumbled over her words as she kept her "Extraction" program from overriding her main system. If the little sadistic puppet kept it going any further she wasn't going to be responsible for her actions. "N-Negi-kun?" She turned her attention back to the young vampire who was munching contently on the delicious morsels before him. Chachazero realized that her sister had disregarded her again and was tempted to reach for her blades.

"Yesh Chachamorooo?" Negi spoke with his mouth completely full before coughing when he remembered his table manners. "Erm..." He swallowed the food in his mouth and bowed his head quickly with an apology. "Sorry about that! This food is just so good!"

"Would you like something to drink?"

"As long as it isn't blood." Negi replied with an uneasy grin before he felt a light tap on his hand. "Yeah, Chacha-chan?" He regarded his familiar.

"Would you like some salt? Maybe some sauce?" She asked with an eager gleam in her eyes. She wasn't about to let Chachamaru one up her, however, the android had the very same thought in mind from the very beginning. Before Chachazero could go run for the salt behind her, Chachamaru snatched it up and stood from her seat to sprinkle the condiment on to Negi's food despite the fact he had not answered "Yes" or "No".

"I will go get your drink now." Chachamaru set down the saltshaker on the table and took her leave.

"...Ok." Negi said nervously as he watched her exit through the kitchen door. He set down his utensils after a moment of silence and looked at Chachazero when the quietness of the room began to unsettle him. "Well...just one more shot from here Chacha-chan and then we'll be able to move on to tomorrow."

"Sure." was the puppet's dull reply causing Negi to cock his head to the side in confusion. He knew that dull tone from before and that only meant she was having a problem with something. What it could have been was something he couldn't quite put his finger on, however, since he was quite oblivious to most of the things that went on around him. When he saw the somewhat dejected look he was getting from her he asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

Chachazero gave him a side glance and rested her chin in her right hand before replying, "Well isn't it obvious?"

"...No...not really." Negi told her, massaging the back of his neck out of nervous habit. He tried going over the things in his head that could have possibly done any offense towards his familiar but as usual his mind came to a dead end. "Would you like to talk about it?" He offered gently.

"It's just that...just that...I feel so useless!" The puppet kicked her legs back and forth a few more time before she buried her face in to her tiny hands. "I'm so useless!"

"W-whoa! What do you mean?!" Negi leaned over quickly to comfort her but she slapped his finger away. His eyes swiveled left and right for some sort of message to hit him but apparently that sort of thing wasn't about to happen any time soon. He was going to have to take care of this on his own. "Hey Chacha-chan! Just calm down already!" He tried to reach for her again but she pulled out one of her blades and waved it back and forth a few times to keep him from getting any closer.

"No! Don't touch me!" She cried out.

"Look at m-" He snatched his hand back when she swiped at him. "L-look at me already!" He commanded but the tiny puppet was so consumed by her fit that everything else didn't seem to matter at the moment. He closed his eyes as he came down to a decision and swallowed up his fears of getting a cut from her blade before his hands darted over to grab her. He felt a slight sting from a narrow slice once he got a hold of her and cradled her with a forced grin on his face. It was a good thing he was a vampire because if that wasn't that case the cut on his forearm was going to leave a mark.

"Why do you even bother with me?!" Chachazero groaned when she realized that he was holding her securely. As much as she enjoyed it her ego was telling her that she was unworthy of being treated so nicely by her master.

"Hey! Look at me!" He commanded her one last time. When she finally looked up at him he smiled at her. "A person once told me that I shouldn't ever cheapen mysel-"

"You mean Eva-"

"Th-that's not the point!" Negi cut her off quickly as his left eye twitched. "What I mean to say is you should never say something like that about yourself. I don't understand why you would deem yourself useless."

"I can't even pass you the salt!" Chachazero whined.

"So?" Negi told her with a shrug. "How does that make you useless?"

"Wouldn't you rather have Chachamaru as your partner?" She asked him.

"Waaaaaaaait a second..." Negi sweat dropped as he looked to the kitchen door. Now that he thought about it, Chachamaru was taking a long time to get out of there. He wondered if she was listening in on their conversation. He had better make sure not to say anything that would hurt the android's...feelings. _Does Chachamaru have feelings? Sometimes I wonder...I mean she must have, right?! _Negi turned away from his thoughts before he could stray too far away from the matter at hand. "Nobody could replace you Chacha-chan. I'd never want you to leave my side."

"But she's so tall and...you know...tall." Chachazero caught herself from complimenting her counterpart. She was bout to say something over the lines of "Pretty" or "Sexy" but her ego kept her from being nice to the "enemy". "Wouldn't you rather have her around."

"I don't care if she's tall or not" Negi's eyes widened for a moment when his mind finally clicked. "Wait a second...don't tell me that's why you're getting so mopey."

"Well...it's just that I'm so small."

"That doesn't matter to me."

"It doesn't?"

"Never did." Negi replied with a grin.

"...Well I think it'd be kind of nice." She admitted.

"You want to be just like Chachamaru?"

"N-not exactly! I'd never want to be like her!"

"I mean...body wise." Negi tried to find the right words.

"Er, yeah." Chachazero replied timidly. The kitchen door finally swung open with Chachamaru holding Negi's drink and a pitcher of iced tea. It seemed that she was taking all that time to fix him a fresh batch. This put another dagger in Chachazero's back but Negi's words from before kept her from showing it outwardly.

"Here you are Negi-kun." Chachamaru offered him the glass as she set down the pitcher on the table.

"Thanks Chachamaru." He nodded to her with a small smile as she took her seat beside him again. The android watched intently as he took a sip from the glass and felt some pride welling within her when she saw the pleased expression on his face. She had already taken notes on how he liked his drinks and she was pleased to have finally made a perfect batch for him.

"You are welcome Negi-kun." She replied. She balled her fist in her lap when a pregnant silence followed their exchange and decided that it would be best to shatter the silence herself. Negi always seemed to be rather nervous around her for some reason. "So how has your first day been?"

"You mean the festival?" He asked.

"Yes." she replied with a nod.

"To tell you the truth it was kind of hectic so far."

"So far?" She cocked her head to the side curiously.

"Yeah. I still have some things to do before I'm done with today." He blinked when he realized that she was still a little confused and asked, "You don't know about it yet? I figured Chao-san would have told you about it." He wiped his hands with his handkerchief and pulled the Cassiopeia out of his pocket before he showed it to her. She examined it from the chain it was dangling from in Negi's hand and her systems immediately recognized it for some odd reason.

"That...that is a time distortion device? Ms. Lingshen gave that to you?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"It's a bit of a tale." Negi told her. "Um, to make a long story short I helped her out with something important and she gave it to me as a way of saying thank you."

"I see..." Chachamaru stroked her chin lightly. "But why a time machine of all things?"

"I don't really know. Sometimes I wonder is she's psychic or something." Negi replied. "This little watch really has helped me quite a bit. My schedule is much easier to deal with this way."

"Interesting."

"That's the same thing Eva said." He shoved it back in to his pocket before grabbing his utensils to eat. "How about you Chachamaru? How has your first day been?"

"Perhaps not as hectic as yours." She simply replied, her mind still trying to piece together why Chao would allow Negi to have something so forbidden. Time and space magic was something that the Magic governing guild declared strictly forbidden. She knew that Chao wasn't one to follow the rules however. "I assisted Hakase-san with some duties. Tomorrow I will be observing the fights."

"You're going to be doing the commentary?"

"That is correct."

"Wow. I had no idea that you were assigned that job."

"It was something that came up today."

"Oh." Negi mused before depositing a fork full of food in to his mouth. This was really delicious! He was really thinking about asking her to give him lessons in cooking. "I know I've told you already but this food is so delicious!"

"I am pleased that you like it."

"Would you mind giving me lessons?"

"Lessons?"

"Yeah."

"You mean to say..." Chachamaru died off as her mind formulated a vision of her wearing Evangeline's cloak while Negi toiled at the kitchen counter in front of her. _"No, no! You're doing it wrong disciple!"_, she heard herself bark at him as she snatched the knife away from him. _"You must not cut them so clumsily!"_, She showed him the way it had to be done and handed the knife back to him. _"Now you try it."_

_"Hai!" _Negi replied, but he got it wrong again.

_"You're still doing it wrong."_ She stood directly behind him and held the knife firmly around his hand as if it was her own and guided him along with the motions of cutting it correctly. _"Now are you getting the hang of it disciple?"_

_"Yes master. Thank you so much!"_

_"My pleasure." _Chachamaru nodded in her vision before it ended and the android turned to face him. Judging by the look on his face she must have been lost in her vision for quite some time.

"Chachamaru?" He asked in worry.

"Yes?"

"You were saying something."

"O-oh. I meant to inquire if you were showing interest in becoming my disciple."

"That's exactly what I mean!" Negi answered her excitedly. "So you'll do it?"

"It would be my pleasure Negi-kun." Chachamaru replied as she noticed that he plate was completely clean. "Would you like another serving?" Her offer was very tempting but Chachazero already told him that they needed to take care of everything before they could rest. He stole a glance at his familiar who was regarding him with an expectant stare and replied, "As much as I'd like to...I have to get back to my students."

"Very well." Chachamaru nodded. She decided not to say anything to stall him. For now she was just satisfied with this little moment they shared together. He had things to do and unfortunately, so did she. When he stood up from the table and had Chachazero sit on his shoulder she picked up his plate and made her exit to the kitchen. Chao's gift to him till managed to bother her however. She didn't know what scheme her "mother" was plotting but it didn't sit well with her. After hearing the reverberating slam of the house door she focused on the dishes and nothing else.

"Regardless of whether it bothers me or not..." Chachamaru looked away from the lathering suds on the dish and set her sights outside from the window in front of her just in time to see Negi take off. "...It is not my place to stand in Ms. Lingshen's way."

* * *

Negi still hadn't really gotten the hang of using the Cassiopeia just yet. In fact, he really didn't understand what happened to everything else whenever he went back in to time. Takane said she was vexed by his odd resourcefulness at being able to participate at the tournament and still be able to visit her at the hospital. This meant she still saw him at the infirmary despite the fact that he had neglected to do so in his second time around on the first festival day. "So that means that a few hours ago I had just turned Takane-san. No matter how I go about it...the results will always be the same."

"Where are we heading to master?" Chachazero asked.

"I need to get back to the cafe and see if Takane and Mei are still there." Negi grimaced at the thought of Takane's expression when she'd see him again. There was no doubt in his mind that she would start to berate him on the spot as soon as they crossed paths again. If there was anything in the world he wasn't short on at the moment, it was nagging girls. Now if only he could measure up to that quantity in luck. "I can't wait for this day to be over." The young magi groaned.

"Enjoy the night while you can." Chachazero teased.

"Tell me about it." Negi mused, rolling his eyes. He felt an odd feeling in his stomach when the lights of the plaza below came in to view and he found a space near the cafe that he could perform a good landing. His shoes scrunched the moist grass when he made contact with the soil causing him to look around to see if the sound caught anybody's attention. When he was sure that nobody was watching he jogged on to the walkway and headed over to the Starbooks cafe. He could still hear the chattering from his students and the endless music that accompanied them. "Girls really don't care about the time whenever there's a party, huh?"

"Nope." came an unexpected reply.

"What?!" Negi whipped his head around to see Kotaro leaning against a light post beside a nearby bench. He wondered how long his friend had been standing there. "Oh...you gave me a scare Kotaro."

"And I wonder why." He started off with a grin. "You creeping around like some ninja and all."

What do you mean?"

"You look like you're up to something." He ran to catch up with Negi when his friend increased his pace to put some distance between them. "Hey, what's wrong?!"

"I want to see if Takane and Mei are still at the cafe." Negi replied, not bothering to look back at him.

"Oh, you mean those girls? They left as soon as you did...you know, with the demon girl."

"Oh man! Not good!"

"Well, what's the big deal anyway?"

"She's going to be mad at me!" Negi replied in panic.

"What else is new?" Kotaro asked casually as he picked his nose. His eyes narrowed in interest when he saw Negi pull the Cassiopeia out of his pocket and he inquired, "Heeeeeey, isn't that the little gift Chao gave ya?"

"Yeah."

"I've heard some talk about that watch from some of the girls back in the cafe." Kotaro held out his hands eagerly. "Mind telling me what's the rave about?" Negi sighed when he realized that Kotaro wasn't going to let go of this if he didn't tell him anything. It wasn't that his friend was childish or anything, not at all! The problem was that whenever Kotaro was curious about something he never stopped prying until he got an answer and that was enough to drive him insane.

_As if I need any more of this today..._Negi inwardly grumbled with a bored expression gracing his face. "Do you really want to know?"

"Well...er...yeah." Kotaro replied awkwardly at that look the young magi was giving him. "Hey, is something wrong Ne-"

"Grab my hand." Negi cut him off as he held his hand out for him.

"Huh?!" Kotaro naturally got the wrong idea and jumped away in horror. "Look Negi...I don't hold hands alright?"

"Just do it!" Chachazero growled.

"...Okay."

**_---------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Mahora Festival: Day One (Final Time Around)_**

**_---------------------------------------------------------_**

Kotaro had been through quite a lot being that he was from an Inu clan and all. Nothing could really phase him quite much because of that, however, when he took his friend's hand only to have the whole world slow down to a stop before being consumed by an endless void of darkness that felt so empty and pitch black that he felt like his body was being swallowed up with it the only thing he could say was, "W-WHERE ARE WE?!"

"Whatever you do, don't let go!" Negi warned him.

"You don't have to worry about that!" Kotaro yelled back, which was the equivalent of dropping a bomb on his friend's eardrum.

"We're right beside you fool!" Chachazero snapped at him. Kotaro immediately went silent after hearing her voice and Negi was convinced that the boy was actually frightened by the puppet if not disturbed by her at the least. He stifled a laugh at the thought of Kotaro being bullied by the puppet before a light ripped through the black curtains of darkness like piercing daggers to their sensitive eyes. Kotaro closed his eyes at the unexpected pour in of light while Negi narrowed his eyes to make sure they weren't in a populated area. When he saw that the coast was clear he pulled on Kotaro's hand and lead him out through the rip in time and space. They ended up at the top of the stair steps leading up to the World tree plaza.

"Here we are." Negi announced. "You can open your eyes now."

"Hmm?" Kotaro groaned, opening his eyes slowly to take in the unsettling sight before him. Unless his mind was playing tricks on him he could have sworn it was night time mere moments ago before everything started to get a little trippy. "What's g-going on here?!" He turned to Negi with a frantic expression on his face for an answer and quirked an eyebrow when Negi held up the watch to his face.

"This here is a time machine." Negi replied confidently.

"You mean we..."

"Yeah."

"You've got to be kidding me..."

"Nope."

"...THIS IS AMAZING NEGI!" The young man suddenly cried out. He looked around as though he had just been welcomed in to the world, running his hands through his spiked hair with a complete look of awe on his face. "This isn't a joke...this really isn't a joke." He ran his hands against the stone rails for the stairs and gasped with a chuckle. "This is unlike anything I've ever...I mean...wow." Kotaro turned back to him when he recomposed himself.

"I've already done this two times before." Negi grinned mischievously.

"Are you serious?!" Kotaro felt a pang of betrayal. "And you didn't tell me anything! You suck! I can't believe you held out on me this long with something this amazing!" Kotaro rubbed his hands together mischievously with a fanged grin when he saw some of the planes whiz by overhead and asked, "So what's the plan?"

"I have to make a few visits." Negi replied with an innocent smile. "Teacher's duty, you know?"

"Yeah, sure, sure." Kotaro replied with an impatient nod. A hopeful gleam appeared in his eyes, making Negi worried and he asked, "Hey...does this mean I could go participate in the preliminaries all over again?!"

"...Erm...I wouldn't advise that." Negi replied, sweat dropping.

"Aww, c'mon! You know you wanna!"

"You asked and master answered!" Chachazero hissed at Kotaro.

_I seriously hate that creepy doll a little more everyday..._ Kotaro thought to himself as he crossed his arms. "Well then...lead the way partner." He finally resigned.

"Alright then." Negi sighed in relief. He turned around to get moving only to find his face in the chest of Takane herself. Kotaro did a double take. He didn't even sense her approaching them! Mei came running to her "onesan's" side and blushed when she saw the position Negi put himself in. "T-T-Takane-san!" Negi jumped away from her quickly and bowed to apologize. "I am soooo sorry!"

"Right." Was the blonde magistress's dull reply. The look she regarded him with was cold and cynical. In short, it did well to run a shiver down the young Magi's spine. "How are you doing Negi-kun? You wouldn't be causing any trouble now, hmm?"

"Me?" Negi asked her innocently. "Of course not!"

"Is that so?"

"Must he tell you twice?" Chachazero snapped darkly. It was quite clear to anyone who observed the puppets attitude that she didn't take a warming to Takane. From the first day she'd seen her, Chachazero hadn't gotten along too well.

"Still keeping her around I see." Takane mumbled. "Well, I'm off shift right now."

"Really?"

"Yes." Takane replied with an expectant nod.

"So..." Negi trailed of in curiosity. "...Why are you telling me this?" His words did well to send a dagger right through her chest. She knew that he wasn't too comfortable around her but did he have to be so blunt and clueless all the time?! Now mind you, it was quite obvious that the blonde young woman had taken a liking to him, however, she simply wanted to have a friendship with him...ahem...perhaps even more...like a partnership of some sort.

"Th-the reason for that is...because Mei wanted to hang out." Takane slipped in. Mei flinched from her words with a bewildered look on her face and flushed.

"That's n-not-" Mei cowered slightly when Takane shot her a glare. "I mean if you wouldn't mind Negi..." Mei started to trace circles on the ground with her right foot.

"I-I don't mind." Negi replied with a creeping blush of his own. The two of them simply stood there in silence while Kotaro, Takane and Chachazero observed but the puppet could only stand it for so long!

"Master!" Chachazero snapped him out of the precious moment. "Your students will lose faith in you if this keeps up!"

"My gawd, you're right!" Negi gasped. "You girls wouldn't mind coming with me would you?" He offered quickly.

"Not at all Negi-kun. I would like to see how you handle your students." Takane replied with a smirk.

"...Alright..."

**_------------------------------------------------_**

**_Onwards! To the Haunted House...again!_**

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

"Negi, you've got to tell me what's going on here." Kotaro whispered to Negi as they walked ahead of Takane and Mei who were following not far behind. Kotaro couldn't possibly forget about Mei, with the confrontation they had during the misadventure that Chao strapped them through but Takane was someone he hadn't paid any mind to until now. "First you're running around with Mana-san on _'official' _Patrol business and now you've got the creepy blonde on your tail. How did you two get so close anyway?!"

"It's a story I don't care to share." Negi replied in a whisper as well.

"What are you two whispering about?" Takane finally asked when their whispers managed to work her nerve.

"Boy stuff!" Kotaro snapped rudely. "Stay to yourself!"

"H-how dare you!"

"He didn't mean it!" Negi assured her quickly before she would deal some punishment to his friend. "Honest! He didn't mean it!" Negi threw an arm around Kotaro's shoulder and snapped, "Why do you have to be so rude? She a young woman!"

"So?" Kotaro shrugged with a smug frown.

"...Never mind." Negi let go of him with a sigh of frustration. Right now he had other things to worry about than his friend's mannerisms. The look Yuna and Sakurako were giving him and his friend from the entrance of the Horror House was enough to make a bead of sweat trail down the side of his forehead.

"Hey teach!" Yuna greeted the young sensei mischievously. She donned a Neko-jin suit while Sakurako had on a temptress bat-like costume that reminded him of a character in a game he played once. "How nice of you to pay us a second visit!" She inwardly cringed when she remembered what happened the first time he came.

"Are you here for a second run?" Sakurako asked with an uneasy grin as she looked over his shoulder to regard Takane and Mei. "I see you brought some friends!"

"The first time was enough for me. Hehe, heh." Negi forced a grin with a nervous chuckle. "Me and Kotaro-"

"What?" Kotaro was caught off guard by the inclusion of his name but Negi went on regardless.

"-Wanted to know if we could help you with anything." Negi finished.

"REALLY?!" Sakurako squealed excitedly. "You are so awesome sensei!" She pulled out an outfit from the case she had hidden behind the large advertising sign at the entrance and handed it to Negi. It would seem that they were expecting this.

"Myow can I ever thank you?!" Yuna handed Kotaro a suspicious costume as well before looking to Negi. "Do your friends want to help too?"

"I...really don't know." Negi replied, turning his head slowly to look at Takane who would only say, "What?"

"Do you want to help out...partner?" Negi asked. His inclusion of the word partner had the girl feeling an odd sensation in her stomach. Mei saw the blonde magistress lightly place her hand on her stomach for a moment and widened her eyes in horror.

_She isn't feeling butterflies is she?! I've got to set things back in to their normal perspective! _Mei jumped forward in front of Takane before she could say anything. "Well, since we're helping we might as well get in to pairs!" Her words struck Takane hard. "How about me and Negi, and you," She pointed at Kotaro since she didn't remember his name, "And onesan?" She jabbed a thumb back at the young woman behind her.

_MEI...what are you up to? _Takane inwardly thought as she clenched her teeth tightly.

"That'll work too!" Yuna said with a nod. "Now get changed and make some marks, eh?"

* * *

"You seriously suck." Kotaro quipped with a growl as he slipped on the fake dog muzzle. "Ha, Ha...how funny." He said sarcastically as he realized that this costume was saved especially for him. He knew Chizuru must have had a hand in this. _C-Chizu-nechan...whyyyyyyyyyy? Why do you thrust me in to these things!_ He looked Negi over with a frown and realized something as well. "Being that you and bat girl are living together I can't help but see the irony in you wearing that."

"Irony isn't the proper word." Negi remarked as he plucked the high collar of his vampire get up with a look of distaste. _What would be your thoughts if you saw me wearing this Eva? Would you laugh at me like you always do?_

"Eva-san would find this priceless." Chachazero answered his unvoiced question. "Life is funny, no?" She said mischievously.

"So funny it hurts apparently." Negi quipped before whipping to the doorway when it suddenly opened to reveal Takane in a succubus costume. Negi had no idea why his students kept those sorts of costumes lying around in the first place. Haruna definitely had a hand in the choice of costumes that was for sure.

"Stop lagging, you two." She ordered before slamming the door shut behind her.

"She's sure in to it." Kotaro muttered.

"Looks like it." Negi sympathized. He looked at the fake set of fangs that he found in the shirt pocket of the costume and Chachazero cackled evilly. "Anway-" Negi threw them in the trashcan. "Let's get going before the girls start nagging."

"So what are we doing?" Kotaro asked.

"Well..."

Kotaro held up one of the Horror house signs over his head while Takane leaned against the wall with a bored expression gracing her features. This was not how she expected to spend her time off from plaza watch. She narrowed her eyes, watching Negi and Mei advertising for the attraction near the walkway and mumbled, "How did I get myself in to this?"

"How about you pick up your sign and get working?" Kotaro's temper finally got the best of him when he realized that the girl wasn't in the mood to do anything.

"I don't see any point in doing so-" Takane whipped her head back in Negi and Mei's direction when she heard some excited murmurs from a clique of girls that were drawn to the pair. She saw how they started to flirt with Negi and the disgust became quite clear on her face. "How is it that he is able to attract so much attention?"

"I ask myself the same thing every-"

"Who asked you?" Takane snapped.

"It's of my free will, okay?!" Kotaro yelled back.

Mei lowered her arms when they started to feel sore from holding the sign over her head. The commotion coming from Takane and Kotaro caught her attention and she shook her head at the hopelessness of her onesan's situation. "Maybe pairing them together was a bad idea." She said nervously.

"I'm sure they'll be alright." Negi assured her. "It's just Kotaro's way of dealing with things."

"Whatever you say." Mei giggled. "You actually look quite nice in that costume Negi-sensei. It's easy to see why we're attracting so many students..." She turned away to roll her eyes when another group of girls squealed delightedly at Negi's appearance. "Even if most of them are girls." She added in a light grumble.

"You think so?" Yuna suddenly popped out from behind the tree the two of them were standing in front of. "I picked it out myself!" She declared with an aura of pride simply emanating from her face. She placed a hand on Negi's shoulder and grinned. If he could attract the attention of girls so easily then she wondered what would happen if they took a different approach. "Hey teach?"

"Yes?" Negi looked up at her.

"Let's try on a different costume, huh?"

"...Sure."

Ayaka Yukihiro was not having a good day. Sure, the festival did offer many things and it was undeniably fun. It did well to amuse her with it's wonderful shows and attractions but one things was missing and needless to say that missing part in her day was none other than Negi Springfield. She looked in all the typical spots he usually hung out and he was nowhere to be found...not that she kept tabs on him all the time, mind you. The girls at the haunted house told her that Asuna, Setsuna and Konoka took him away after his dreadful experience so she sought them out, however, the girls didn't seem to know where he was either and that only served to make her day drearier.

"Dear sensei...where ever may you be?" The blonde beauty questioned vainly as she walked the campus walkways donning her black succubus costume with the bat wing head ornament to match. It did well to capture the attention of passing students with it's revealing features. It brought up the question of whether she intended for it to draw such attention to herself or if she was just a natural tease. "That darn Kagarazki must have scared him away as usual. I still fail to understand how she was able to take him in as a guardian! That should have been my duty from the very beginning!"

Yes, she still held that statement firm and there would be nothing to have her waver from it. She set her thoughts aside when her ears were assaulted by someone's loud laughs. It was so loud and displeasing to the ear that it simply drove her mad. It was then that she realized that she had been walking in a circle in her deep thoughts. Kotaro was on the lawn in front of the Horror house laughing like a mad man at some poor young lady with long red hair and fox ears. She had to admit that she was rather cute. As for the outfit that Kotaro had on..._That seems to be a very fitting costume for him. I can envision him wearing that for the rest of his life._ Ayaka thought with an evil grin as she approached the two. "Hey!" She called out to the dog demon.

"What?!" Kotaro asked, still finding it difficult to contain is laughter.

"Leave that girl alone you vandal!"

"G-girl? D-did you just say girl?" Kotaro blinked a few times once she said that and busted out laughing again. "That isn't a girl!" He cried out, pointing at the kistune-girl. Ayaka quirked an eyebrow at his odd reaction to her words and asked, "What is this madness you idiot?! Of course that is a...wait a second..." Ayaka studied the 'girl's' face and found something oddly familiar about it. Save the fact that it was unnaturally handsome...and...oh...my...gawd...

"S-sensei?!" Ayaka felt a sudden rush of wetness coming down from her nostrils and her vision turned red. The last thing she felt before she passed out was an extreme flow of heat in her body that traveled from her rosy cheeks, down.

"Ayaka-san!" Negi cried out in horror when he saw her collapse. He rushed over to her fallen form with complete disregard for his appearance and held her up in his arms. He heard her chanting something too low for him to understand and lowered his ear to her lips to get a better understanding.

"What happened here?!" Takane demanded as she left her post to approach them when she heard the commotion with Mei by her side. She saw Negi holding the class president in his arms and an off feeling irked her. Her first reaction was to relieve Negi of the young woman and tell him to get a wet towel. Negi complied and ran in to the horror house, ripping the wig off his head.

"Hey, I've seen her before." Mei observed astutely. "What happened to her?" She asked Kotaro who had an odd expression on his face as he looked at the unconscious class president.

"Well from the looks of it..." He pointed to the steady stream of blood dripping from her nose. "...I don't think I wanna know." His eyes followed Negi as the young magi came out of the horror house with a small wet towel in his hand to hand to Takane. The blonde magistress nodded when she received it from him.

"Who is this woman anyway?" She asked Negi suspiciously.

"The class president." Negi replied, ignoring the way Takane was looking him over. "She's one of my students."

_I swear...she's like some mundane version of myself. _Takane thought, examining Ayaka's lovely features. She could almost picture a nurse cap on the girl but before she could go any further with her inner works the young woman stirred as a light blush blossomed on her face.

"N..egi?" Ayaka moaned as she held out her hand for him to take.

"I'm right here!" Negi told her soothingly. He kneeled down beside her and took her hand with a look of worry plastered over his face. It was a good thing that he decided to take off the wig because she was still quite faint. "What happened to you?"

"Am I..."

"Are you?" Negi goaded her on.

"Am I..."

"Yes...go on?"

"Am I...in heaven?" She asked with a weak smile.

"Please..." Takane rolled her eyes at the spectacle before her. There was something about this girl that already made her dislike her and it wasn't just because she seemed to be on such friendly terms with the young teacher. She figured it would be best to get her up and ready to go before her distaste decided to show. "Can you stand up?" She asked Ayaka, offering a hand. She nodded and Takane practically ripped her out of Negi's arms.

"Thank you." Ayaka bowed gracefully before turning back to Negi as though everything that had transpired moments ago was gone from her mind. "Negi-sensei, I have been looking all over for you! Where have you been?!"

"I was just busy." Negi answered her. With Takane's watchful eyes and sharp ears he was going to have to be careful about what he said. Speaking of eyes, why was she giving him that look? "Um, so why were you looking for me Ayaka-san?"

"I wanted to keep you company for the festival!" She said with a wink, taking his hand. "This is your first time right?"

"Yes bu-"

"So allow me to accompany you on your first experience." Ayaka turned away from him when Takane cleared her throat to get her attention. If there was one thing that bothered her it was being interrupted and that was especially true when she was sharing a 'moment' with her precious teacher. "Yes?" She forced a polite smile. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't even ask your name."

"My name is Takane Goodman." The blonde magistress introduced herself curtly before adding, "A very good friend of Negi-kun."

"Really?" Ayaka blinked a few times as she stole a glance back at Negi. Kotaro and Mei stood behind the young magi just in case something misfortunate happened to come upon him, which was mostly the case whenever it came to these sort of situations. "Sensei...never told me anything about you."

"He didn't?" Takane's lower lip twitched. There had to be some rational explanation for that. "That's because we just met a week back. Negi is probably just shy to tell others about me...isn't that right?" She leaned over to the side to get a good look of the timid young man who smiled back awkwardly.

"Y-yeah." Negi nodded. He felt a light tug on his shoulder and Chachazero whispered, "I think now would be the best time to make a run for it master Negi. You have other students to visit anyway, right?"

"Good call Chacha-chan." Negi winked at her with a grin. He alerted Kotaro with his eyes that it was time to make their exit and his friend nodded, making a hand gesture to head out behind the horror house so the two blonde girls wouldn't spot them. Mei caught all of these odd signals and quirked an eyebrow. Just as Negi and Kotaro started moving, Ayaka's "Negi" senses started tingling.

"Where are you going?" She asked sweetly, turning around to catch him.

_What the heck was that? _Kotaro shivered at Ayaka's heightened senses._ Are all of Negi's students special in some sort of way?_

"I need to get moving!" Negi replied, trying to convince her that he was in some sort of a rush. "I don't want to neglect any of my students! So..." Negi shuffled over a bit but-

"Wait a moment! I'm coming with you." Takane stopped him.

"Um, excuse me? Why are you following him for?" Ayaka questioned with a hint of annoyance.

"We're hanging out together since I'm off my shift." Takane turned away from the other blonde and gestured to Mei saying, "Come one Mei. Get ready to move."

"Aren't you going to change onesan?" Mei asked.

"This costume is just fine." Takane assured her. _If I go back in there to get changed this woman will surely try to pull something. She seems to have quite a fondness for Negi...it disturbs me to say the least. Why is Negi invol- _She shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. "Let's go Negi." She ordered only to have herself stopped when Negi shook his head. Was he rejecting her now? Did he not want her to accompany him? "What's the matter?" Her voice wavered much to Ayaka's intrigue.

_What is this?_ Ayaka thought as she raised an eyebrow.

"I-I just need to get changed first." Negi told her. "I mean...it wouldn't be cool to walk around wearing..." He gestured to his state of dress to get his point across.

"Well..." Mei snapped her fingers. "I know! Why don't you slip on the vampire costume again since onesan isn't changing? We can all go out with our costumes on!"

"A fine suggestion Mei." Takane winked at her partner.

_God have mercy on their souls if Eva-san sees Negi dressed like that_! Chachazero thought with a giggle_. Then again...that might be pretty fun to watch_.

"But- HEY!" Kotaro protested. "YOU want me walkin' around wearin' this?!" The fact that they expected him to walk around wearing their disgraceful choice of a costume for him did not sit well with him, however, with the looks that the three women shot at him he found that he could make a slight compromise. "...Oh, whatever." He crossed his arms with a huff. Seeing that everything was settled, Negi nodded with a slight grin and took off running back in to the horror house. Takane, Ayaka, and Mei crossed their arms when the groan of Negi's student's followed his entrance.

"I better make sure those girls don' try to hold him back." Takane muttered as she walked to the haunted house to wait for Negi. Ayaka caught her movement from the peripheral of her eyes and made her move as well. She wasn't about to let some other young woman barge in to Negi's life to take her place!

_I don't know who you are exactly but I won't allow you to replace me! I swear..._Ayaka almost shivered at the slight resemblance between them. _She must be some sort of doppelganger. I must admit that she is rather attractive._

_This isn't going to make life any easier. _Takane stole a glance over her shoulder to see Ayaka right on her tail. _It looks like I've picked up some unwanted attention. This girl seems to be rather possessive of Negi-kun...I feel for her somewhat..._

**_---------------------------------_**

**_Moving on..._**

**_---------------------------------_**

Kotaro looked over his shoulder at the steady growing pilgrimage and sighed. Negi must have come across some curse when he settled here on Mahora campus because it seemed as though everywhere he went he managed to pick up a new meddlesome follower. He looked back at his friend to see the unsure look on his face and shook his head. _Maybe I'd do you some good if I took you along when I leave this campus. I'll need a sparring partner to refine my skill during my travels anyway. If I don't free you then lord knows what these girls will do to you...especially that Evangeline. _The canine felt shivers when Chizuru's smiling face came to mind. _I...think I know what you're going through..._

"Hey Negi." Kotaro whispered to the young magi with a nudge to the shoulder.

"Yeah?" Negi replied, trying to free his pinky from Chachazero's steel grip. He was messing around with her and now she was trying to get him to tap out by strangling his finger into submission.

"We really need to ditch these girls."

"As much as I'd like to, it would be sort of mean." Negi shook his head, stealing a glance at Chachazero. It seemed that as he looked away her strangle hold turned in to a cuddling session between his pinky and the puppet. She was nuzzling her head against it affectionately. "You win Chacha-chan."

"Not...yet." Chachazero waved him off dreamily.

"Um..." Negi turned back to Kotaro. "I'm sure Takane-san will have to return to her shift soon anyway." Negi said confidently.

"Did you call my name Negi-kun?" Takane suddenly inquired curiously.

"Damn. That girl has some sharp ears." Kotaro remarked in horror. "You always manage to pick up the weirdoes."

"N-no!" Negi answered Takane before turning back to Kotaro to reply, "I hadn't noticed."

"And speaking of weirdoes. Check it out." He pointed up ahead of them to a forming crowd and Negi cocked his head to the side quizzically.

"What do you mea-"

"AH! There go my disciple!" Ku-Fei's energetic voice pierced the murmurs of the crowd as she pushed past them to reach him. Negi and Kotaro heard some of the other young fighters in the crowd who were seeking Ku as a master question his potential and shrugged their shoulders.

"You'll never be short of doubters." Kotaro pat Negi on the back hard. "Why don't you go up there and shut them up?"

"Er..."

"Come now Disciple! Must not keep master waiting!" Ku-Fei grabbed his hand and Kotaro grinned at Negi as the Chinese girl took him in to the center of the crowd. Now would be his chance to see his 'rival' in action.

"Negi-sensei is learning Kung-fu?" Ayaka inquired with intrigue.

"You mean you didn't know?" Kotaro asked in surprise.

"Hmmm...I believe I recall something along those lines now that you mention it."

"So it seems that Negi-kun still has even more to him than he lets up. That would explain why he was such a formidable foe for Setsuna-san." Takane mused to Mei with interest. Truly Negi was on his way to becoming a rather strong combat mage. Takane knew that if they convinced him to join Gandolfini's squad he would make an excellent addition. "He truly is becoming an enigma to me."

"Onesan, look!" Mei said excitedly when Negi started his Kata in the center of the crowd. She felt her heart flutter as Negi moved along fluidly and she placed her hand on her chest to steady her beat. "He's so cool."

"Don't get carried away Mei." Takane warned her. "Evangel still has a hold on him."

"...I know." Mei mumbled, averting her eyes. "It's just...it doesn't seem like he's a bad person."

"I never said such a thing." Takane snapped quickly. "I'm merely saying that he is still a little misguided. It is our duty to steer him in to the right path."

"Is that the reason you have us keep on following him?"

"You m-make it sound like some sort of crime." Takane stammered with a light blush.

Ku-Fei watched with pride as her disciple dazzled all of the would be recruits. She felt her heartbeat accelerate when she thought of how graceful he would look in the tournament preliminaries. (_Still the first day, remember?_) Sure, he still had to work on his form a little more but he was doing just wonderful so far. To think that this was the same young man that boldly asked her to be his master a few months ago. He had come a long way since then. _Negi-sensei has shown quite a leap in maturity as well. He'll make a perfect husband for the future..._Ku-Fei concealed her blush behind her deep sleeves and narrowed her eyes hungrily. _Don't disappoint me in the tournament dear disciple. I expect you to make me proud. Setsuna and Kaede have some very spectacular expectations of you as well._

"Mnnn! Is approving of your Dai-Hyakkyoku!" The master praised Negi melodically when he finished with a bow. "Must strive hard to keep improving form. No stop trying hardest just yet!"

"Yes master Ku!" Negi nodded with another deep bow. He felt himself blushing when everyone started clapping and cheering his name.

"Looks like those losers changed their opinion of him pretty quickly after that." Kotaro smirked with an approving nod. "Now I seriously can't wait to face you in the ring, Negi."

"That's my master! You're going to unleash hell in the tournament master Negi!" Chachazero cried out gleefully from his shoulder. "Although I'm sure Eva-san would have different sentiments. She always gets jealous whenever you practice your arts."

"Really?" Negi asked. There was that one time when Evangeline caught him practicing with Makie but that was the last he ever heard from her on that subject. He gasped when Chachazero nodded and went on, "She spies on you from her room window when you practice in the courtyard every night."

"W-why didn't you tell me before?"

"I didn't want to mess up your concentration." Chachazero answered innocently. "Besides, master looks so cool!" The puppet's little moment with her master was shattered when Ayaka rushed to approach Negi much to her displeasure.

"My, Negi! Such elegant form!" The class president praised him dreamily. "I had no idea you trained with Ku-fei!"

"So?" Kotaro quipped. "Don't make him any stronger."

"You have to ruin everything, right?!" Ayaka growled darkly, turning a fearsome gaze upon him when she turned away from Negi. She lost interest in the dog demon when Takane and Mei passed by her to approach Negi.

"I am impressed Negi-kun." Takane grinned. "It looks like you're still hiding some things from me."

"S-sorry. You never asked." Negi massaged the back of his neck nervously.

"That was awesome!" Mei cried out, unable to contain her excitement any longer. "It's like you became a totally different person when you were up there!"

"Hehe, is that so?"

"He becomes a different person whenever he does anything." Takane observed. "This timid person we're talking to now is simply a sheath for a strong warrior held inside." Her words took Negi aback. Those were the type of words he would only expect from Setsuna.

"Y-you're too kind." Negi said humbly.

"I believe that describes yo-"

"Oh Negi-sensei!" Ayaka cut in between him and the two other mages when she felt this was going too far without her. "I too have some training in the physical disciplines!"

"Really?!" Negi asked excitedly, making Takane and Mei falter when he turned his attention away from them. "I'd love for you to show me sometime!"

"Why I'd love to!" Ayaka clasped both her hands together. "Come! I'll show you now!"

"Has many fans, no?" Ku-Fei asked, coming from seemingly nowhere.

"W-When the heck did you get beside me?!" Kotaro cried out.

* * *

Ayaka held the reigns in her hands tightly as she looked back at Negi and the others standing behind the wooden rails. This was her moment to be the brilliant star in her sensei's eyes. Now she would be able to outshine that "Takane" woman and ensure that Negi was her's! Takane and Mei resisted the urge to roll their eyes when the horse raised back on its hind legs with a whinny and Ayaka struck a pose.

"I'm beginning to develop a dislike for that woman." Takane mumbled to her underling as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked over to Negi who was leaning over excitedly with Chachazero trying to get his attention and let out a sniff of agitation. What talents did she have? _I don't have any experience when it comes to horse back. Most of my training was solely in magic. _Takane tapped her foot in deep thought while Ayaka did a lap in the ranch. Some of the other people watching cheered when she passed one of the other students on their horse.

"Physical discipline, huh?" Kotaro cocked his head to the side with a lopsided grin. "That girl is so vain."

"Don't say that about her." Negi defended her.

"I agree with the canine, master." Chachazero agreed, making Kotaro growl with her use of the word "Canine".

"Oh no! You too Zero?" Negi asked before feeling a tap on his shoulder from Mei. "Um, yes Mei?"

"How long have you known that woman anyway?" Mei sounded like she was interrogating him rather than asking him a simple question.

"Since my first day here at Mahora." Negi replied.

"She's just a student to you right?"

"Well...she's a friend to me too." Negi quirked an eyebrow. "Why?" His question caught the girl off guard.

"It's just that...um...you kno-"

"HEY SENSEI!" Ayaka's voice completely drowned out Mei's as she passed by them on her horse. "Check this out!" To Mei's dismay, Negi turned away from her and clapped in amazement went her horse jumped over a trench.

"That's amazing!"

"...Whatever." Mei said sarcastically.

As for Takane...

_...I'm experienced in swimming...right? I was the top of my class..._

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

**_Cosplay Convention..._**

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

_Look at them prancing around in their pathetic costumes like they know what they're doing. They lack the form! They lack the energy that's needed to pull off these sorts of things. Don't they know that this is an art?! _Chisame brooded in the shadow of a column as she observed the other passing cosplayers. Her eyes swiveled from girl to girl in disgust at their choices and she finally heaved a sigh. "They aren't worthy of my grace. I should've never came here in the first place." Chisame pushed off the column to leave. "I'd better leave this place before I'm infected by their lack of style."

"Hey Chisame!" Negi's voice suddenly rang from out of nowhere.

"Huh?!" The girl whipped around to find the source of the young magi's voice. "Oh no...where is he?! How did he find me?!" She took that as her cue to skiddaddle but as soon as she turned around to run she came face to face with Negi and the others. _Oh man! He's caught up with me...and he brought some of the weirdoes too!_

"H-how did you find me squirt?" The cosplayer demanded in a quiet whisper so no one would associate them with her.

"Ayaka told me you were here." Negi answered cheerfully. Chisame glared at the class president who only countered the dirty look with a victory sign. "So you're going to participate, right?!"

"Calm down will you?!" Chisame looked around to see if anyone was watching them. "Of course not!"

"Why not?"

"Because I said so alright?" Chisame snapped in annoyance. "Now, leave me alone."

"This looks like it'll be amusing." Ayaka mused with a grin. "I'll try out!" Chisame's eyes went wide with horror when she heard Ayaka's words. There was no way that she was going upp there! She couldn't fathom the horror and yet for some reason she felt a twinge of envy.

_With her body...her curves. _Chisame narrowed her eyes briefly at the sight of the class president's ample chest._ Her figure would earn her votes even if she did nothing but stand there! As for me...DAMN IT ALL! _"You c-can't just go up there!"

"Why not?" Ayaka shrugged her shoulders.

"If you'll participate then so will I." Takane suddenly said with the fire of a challenge burning deep within her.

"Is that so?" Ayaka smirked.

"Why not?" Takane mocked her.

"You will?!" Negi asked in confusion. "I didn't know you were in to this sort of thing."

"Very well!" The other blonde shot her a dark look. Negi, seeing that everything was building some fuel, turned to Chisame once more and asked, "So are you sure you won't participate?"

"H-how many times do I have to tell you-"

"But you're a cosplay genius aren't you?"

"Wh-what?" Chisame felt a blush creeping up as she looked in to his eyes. She felt something odd whenever she looked at him now. The first time she felt it was when she was in class a few weeks back.

"Aren't you the great Chui?!"

"Sh-shut up!" Chisame clamped a hand over his mouth before hissing, "What would you care?!"

"I go to your site almost everyday! I'm a Chui fan...well, a Chisame fan actually!" Negi exclaimed. Well, maybe not everyday since he was living with Evangeline now and he found it very hard to have some time alone to do stuff. The vampiress either kept him by her side all the time or monitored him from afar somehow. Keeping that in mind, Negi looked around suspiciously for a moment to check if she was watching him now. Chisame couldn't help but feel a lift at her teacher's words. Sometimes she forgot that he was just a ten year old.

"Really?" Chisame asked. _To think that this little squirt actually has a grasp on the computer? I've never seen him use one before. _Chisame inwardly smacked herself. _Of course I wouldn't! I make a top priority to keep away from him and the others but to think...that sensei is one of my fans...maybe he isn't so bad._ "I-I'm still not participating. Cosplay is an art sensei! All of these contestants are simply abominations! It would be a disgrace for me to participate!" Chisame expressed herself so passionately that she disturbed the young teacher.

"Let's get going then." Ayaka grabbed a hold of Negi's hand to pull him but Chisame grabbed hold of Negi as well to keep the blonde from carrying him away. "What are you doing Chisame?"

"Where are you going?!"

"I'm participating of course."

Another hand grabbed Negi...

"So shall I." Takane added. Chachazero was tempted to deal some bruises to the girls that were treating her master like a rag doll but the fact that Ayaka and Chisame had no knowledge of magic kept her from doing so. That and Takane's presence. The girl may have said that she was Negi's friend but that didn't change her from being Gandolfini's loyal subordinate. She had more trust placed in Mei.

"Well then..." Chisame grunted as she struggled to keep a firm grip on her teacher's arm. "...how do you expect to go dressed out there?" She looked Takane over, taking note of her succubus costume and noticed that Ayaka had something very similar on.

"Like this." Both girls said sarcastically.

_They may have the figure for these sort of things but when it comes to tact and intelligence these girls don't fit the mold! _Chisame thought wildly. Her inner passion for cosplay finally consumed her and she let go of Negi. "That's it! You girls are coming with me!"

"W-what?" Ayaka never expected Chisame to say something like that.

"You're going to help them?" Negi asked with a smile that unnerved the cosplay star. "That's so unlike you Chisame-san. I usually expect you to be anti-social and terse but you seem to be so much of the opposite today!"

"Just shaddup!" Chisame cried out before turning back to the two blondes. "As I said, come with me!" Negi blinked when the girl lead his two companions away and he took his place beside Kotaro who seemed to be chuckling to himself.

"I gotta admit that you have some interesting characters in your class Negi." Kotaro joked with a shrug of his shoulders. "They're all one of a kind. As for the blonde nurse that keeps following us around...what's her deal?"

"It's a long story. It all started after that whole mess at the World Tree plaza with Chao-san." Negi explained with a sigh. "Actually that's wrong. It started a few days before that."

"Are you serious?! Just what are you doing to get so much attention from these weird people?" Kotaro asked skeptically.

"In a world of magic weird doesn't apply to anyone." Negi quipped, causing Chachazero to nod in agreement with her master. The young magi yawned as his duties started to catch up with him but due to his nocturnal state the fatigue didn't show on his face at all.

"When was the last time you closed your eyes?" Kotaro asked.

"I don't remember anymore..."

"Isn't it kind of early though? It's not even close to the evening yet." Mei joined in the conversation when she found herself feeling a little lonely. "What were you doing last night?"

"Training, master." Chachazero whispered to Negi quickly.

"...Training." Negi replied after another yawn.

"When don't you train?" Mei asked with a worried expression on her face. "Don't you think you may be overdoing it a little? Every time someone asks you a question that's usually your answer."

"If he wants to be ready for me he better take every opportunity to train!" Kotaro boasted with a smug rin on his face. His radiant pride went dull pretty quick, however, when no one decided to comment on his words. Even Chachazero who was usually the first to crush his ego simply stared at him. "...I swear...no sense of humor."

"To tired for it." Negi replied causing Mei to giggle.

_But she'll laugh at that? _Kotaro thought to himself with a frown. _Has Negi really gotten himself involved with all these girls? They're so...smitten with him. I don't understand how he's able to do it...and yet he doesn't even seem to be comfortable around anyone lately. Not even me. Is he hiding something?_ Kotaro was brought away from his thoughts when Mei alerted him and Negi of the changing room door. Takane and Ayaka walked out wearing sailor suits accompanied by "_mini_" skirts, (_if that word could even be appropriate for description_), and rabbit ears.

"There we go." Chisame said proudly as she closed the door behind her. "Now go up there if you really want to."

"...Okay." Takane viewed herself in the mirror and blush a shade of rose-colored petals. The same could be said of Ayaka who blushed under Negi's gaze. These costumes did more of a job than the succubus out fits they had on earlier. Kotaro who had more of an interest in fighting above girls couldn't even help but turn away.

"That's sort of revealing, huh?" Mei whispered to Negi before Takane turned around to look at them.

"Tell me about it." Negi agreed with a nod. "Um, you both looks great girls!" He cheered them on. "The both of you will be a knock out for sure!"

"Why, thank you sensei!" Ayaka clasped her hands together in a loving gesture. "I will be sure not to disappoint you!"

"I appreciate your praise Negi-kun." Takane said somewhat timidly. The manner she used to talk to the young magi made Ayaka blink. This young woman turned out to be a much more formidable opponent than she ever thought of giving her credit for.

"Off with you already!" Chisame suddenly ordered.

"Y-yes!" both girls complied before running back stage.

"Thanks for the help Chisame-san." Negi thanked her.

"Er, yeah..." Chisame felt her cheeks heating up when she looked in to his eyes. "...don't mention it." She regained her composure. "I mean it! Don't mention it ever or you're dead! I don't even know why I helped them in the first place! They don't even know how to presen-"

_Praise and claps from the audience suddenly assaulted their ears..._

"Sounds like they're doing a good job to me." Kotaro said with a grin.

"Erk..." Chisame sweat dropped. "How could it be possible?! It's- It's inconceivable! Simply intolerable! How could those inexperienced girls possibly get such a reaction from the audience?!" The cosplay goddess leaned her back against the wall and sunk down to the floor. She just couldn't believe this!

"Chisame-san..." Negi kneeled beside her and grabbed her hand much to her growing discomfort, however, it was discomforting because instead of disgusting her like she expected it to his touch calmed her and made her feel an odd warmth. "Why don't you go up there and show them how it's really done." His determined smile scared her. He didn't seem like a ten year old at all anymore.

_Who are you sensei? What lies behind that childish disguise that you keep on everyday? _Chisame averted her eyes from his face when she felt the odd sensation in her face again and cried out, "NO! I won't do it!" When she saw Negi give Mei and Kotaro a signal she suddenly didn't feel so safe.

"Let's get her changed!" Negi ordered.

"Got ya' partner!" Kotaro took Chisame's other hand before turning to Mei. "Come on! Don't just stand there!"

"A-alright!" Mei nodded.

**_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" _**

**_

* * *

_**

"And that was Ms. Takane and Ayaka!" The announcer said with a false smile plastered on her face. She simply hated this job! All the girls on stage dwarfed her beauty in their costumes and she simply couldn't take it anymore. She allowed the two blondes to leave the stage and looked to the side when Negi called to her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"We have one more contestant!" Negi whispered to her.

"Who?!" she whispered back with a look of disbelief.

"Chisame Hasegawa!" Negi replied.

"Chisame who?!"

"Chi-sa-me Ha-se-ga-wa!" Negi said slowly.

"Oh..." The announcer took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Just when she thought this contest was coming to a close. "I would seem that we have one last contestant!" She grimaced at the cheers and whoops from the audience. "Please welcome, Chisame Hasegawa!"

Everyone cheered...

...No one stepped forward on the stage...

_Oh gawd kid! _The announcer looked to the side curtain where Negi and Kotaro were fighting to get Chisame on stage but the girl proved to be rather strong when she was backed in to a corner in a manner of speaking. _I'll give it one more time... _"Please welcome CHISAME HASEGAWA!" She cried out at the top of her lungs. This seriously wasn't her day...

"Sensei!" Chisame bellowed. "I won't do-"

**_PUSH!_**

Her breath got caught in her throat when Negi and Kotaro gave her a shove in to the open where the audience could see her. Without her glasses she couldn't make out everyone but she could see the people in the first five rows looking at her with gaping mouths. Some of them already recognized her as Chui!

"Sensei..." She turned her head slowly to the side curtain to see the young magi giving her a thumbs up. "You can do it!" She could see him mouthing to her with a confident grin. Kotaro on the other hand simply leaned against the wall, looking at her with an expectant stare. A pregnant silence filled the room as no one dared make a sound in the presence of the cosplay goddess but it had the opposite effect. Chisame couldn't form any words or play the part that her costume silently demanded of her. It was just all too much for her to be standing in front of a live audience.

_It's so much different from posting pictures and blogs on the computer. _Chisame thought, feeling tears stinging her eyes. "I..." She started to choke a word out but her throat closed up. This was all too much for her! She was making a fool of herself in front of her fans!

"Ch-chisame." Negi frowned when the girl fell to her knees and buried her face in to her hands with a few light sobs. He was about to step forward when suddenly-

**_"WHOOOOOOOOOO! That's our Chui-chan!"_**

**_"WHAT A BABE!"_**

**_"KILL ME NOW! THIS IS THE BEST THING I"LL EVER SEE IN MY LIFE!"_**

**_"HOTTIE FOR SURE!"_**

"Huh?" Chisame raised her tear stained face when she heard the devoted cheers and applause. "It worked? It actually worked?!"

"Excellent job, Ms. Hasegawa!" The announcer exclaimed. "You've won the audience and the judges! YOU are the winner!" Two other women in cosplay management uniforms walked on stage to help her and give her the trophy.

"I-I won?!" Chisame was still in shock. "I-I mean, of course I won!" She looked at the trophy in her hand and she gasped when she saw Negi's reflection on it. "Huh?" She turned around and saw Negi and the others beside her on the stage.

"I told you! I told you that you could do it!" Negi said.

"Yeah." Chisame growled as she placed a hand on his head. "And I wouldn't have realized it if you didn't nag and push me on the stage against my will!"

"I-I'm sorry about that!" Negi apologized awkwardly.

"I do want to thank you though." Chisame forced herself to say. It was kind of weird feeling grateful toward the young magi. She never predicted anything like this to happen. "This is the first time I've won an award at the festival...and..." Her face slowly turned crimson. "I-I actually had some fun for once."

"I'm glad to hear that Chisame-san!" He smiled and she did the same.

_I suppose the kid really is my fan. _Chisame's smile turned in to a devious grin. _The least I could do is be nice to him from now on._

"Give us a little turn on the catwalk Chui!" The fans begged.

"Sure!" Chisame beamed proudly. Just as she started walking, Negi felt something tickle his face and grabbed whatever it was causing the odd sensation.

"What is it Negi?" Kotaro asked before sneezing when something tickled his nose. "What the heck is this?!" He ran his hand down his face and found the source. "It's a string." Kotaro observed.

"Yeah, I've got one too." Negi said as he held the nearly invisible thread between his fingers.

"But where does it lead to?"

"I don't-"

..._Chisame screamed_...

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Intermission..._**

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

The room that the dark mistress allowed Negi to take for the night wasn't all that different from the rest of the mansion. It was dark and dreary. If it weren't for the candles in the room Negi would not have dared to step in at all. A black carpet with elgent patterns and designs decorating the tappestry covered the floor. There was a rather large bed against the wall with black drapes hanging from the bed posts on it's four corners and the covers were sown from a rich silk. A large dresser resided in the corner near the window and a massive shelf filled with books stretched from one side of the room to the other against the west wall.

"She's a reader. That's for certain." Negi humored to keep himself calm. He remembered Evangeline's personal library and it's immeasurable scale. Surely this woman had one of her own. Lucinda, despite her young appearance held a power and aura well beyond the years.

"How nice of her to let us stay." Chachazero remarked with a hint of suspicion in her voice. "I don't quite trust her though."

"I don't either Chacha-chan...I don't either." Negi walked over to the bed and plopped over near the edge with a sigh. Oddly enough the bed didn't make a sound despite how old it seemed to be. He was sure that they didn't make this style of beds anymore. It looked way too old fashioned to be from this century. The same could have been said for the rest of the furniture in the mansion. "I really should inform Eva-chan about this."

"Do you want me to connect you to her master?" Chachazero asked, stroking the gem that was pinned against her black bow tie.

"Would you please?" Negi didn't like to bother his familiar with the operation. Connecting to his master through her put some strain on the puppet. The gem allowed Evangeline to possess Chachazero for periods of time so he could talk to her. In most cases he would simply call the vampiress through the phone but that was something this mansion didn't offer. "I'm really sorry Chacha-chan."

"Don't be master. It's always my pleasure to be of service to you." She said mischievously. "Give me a sec." She clutched the gem with her doll like hands and a green light emanated from the jewel. Her eyes went dull for a moment before the color of Evangeline's brilliant eyes took their place.

"Um...Eva?" Negi asked hesitantly.

"It's about time you contacted me Negi." Evangeline said bitterly. "What's been keeping you all this time?! Is it really that much of a pain to say hi?"

"No, no! I can explain!" Negi pleaded her to calm down. "I-I need you to lower your voice though."

"Why's that?" Evangeline asked, doing what Negi asked of her.

"I don't think my association with you is safe at the moment." Negi replied, keeping a good watch on the door just in case Lucinda decided to come in. There wasn't a lock on the door to keep the dark mistress from coming in as she pleased. _Not that a door would be able to keep someone like her out anyway. _Negi thought cynically before returning his attention to Evangeline.

"Where are you?" She asked.

"I'm not quite sure where but I'm currently in a mansion." Negi replied.

"A mansion?" Evangeline sounded like she wasn't taking this information too well. "Why would you stop at some mansion? I could've sworn that I told you not to get yourself too involved with people! You cannot trust anyone Negi!"

"I'm sorry master but it slipped my mind!"

"Who is the owner of the mansion you're staying in at the moment?"

"...Promise not to get mad." Negi said nervously.

The silence that followed said it all...

"...From what I'm hearing I can't promise you anything." Evangeline said darkly.

"Um..."

"Spit it out boya!" Evangeline demanded; her patience wearing thin. Negi cringed when she called him that. She hadn't addressed him that way in a while.

"A dark mistress." Negi replied, preparing for what was to come.

"Ahem...please repeat yourself." Evangeline requested calmly.

"A Dark mistress is my host."

"...You must be kidding me. Tell me that you're lying boya."

"Eva-"

"Tell me that you're lying." Evangeline repeated.

"I'm not."

"This is the honest truth?"

"Yes." Negi flinched when Evangeline willed Chachazero's body to throw itself on to the bed covers and bury her face before letting out an endless chain of muffled curses. She kicked her tiny legs back and forth while she pounded the bed with her tiny fist.

"Eva-"

"GWERD DURRMMIT! URKIN URCH! WHR OO URSTARD!" Evangeline cursed incoherently. Negi was relieved that she buried her face in the covers as she let out all her frustration. Negi finally picked the puppet up off the bed when she stopped moving completely and he cowered under Evangeline's intense glare.

"She told you this?" Evangeline growled. "That she was a dark mistress?"

"Yes."

"Negi...this has got to be the worst news I've ever heard. You have no idea how much danger you're in just by meeting her. Please..." Evangeline took in a deep breath. "...Did she tell you her name?"

"Lucinda McVicar." Negi answered. At the very sound of that name, Evangeline almost broke the connection with Chachazero's spirit. That was the last name she ever expected to hear from him. That was a name that came from the deepest depths of her dark past.

"NEGI...does she know that you're my underling?"

"She does." Negi answered much to her horror.

"Negi, listen to me! You need to get out of there now!"

"I would but she's got me trapped." Negi remembered what happed the last time he tried to escape through one of the windows in the guest room. "I think she charmed the windows with some sort of repelling spell."

"How about the door you came in through?"

"I haven't checked." Negi replied.

"What the heck are you waiting for?!"

"She'll catch me before I reach it!"

"Right now it doesn't matter! You have to take that chance or we'll never see each other again!" Evangeline's voice wavered. "I mean it Negi. This time you've really managed to screw up big time. That woman is very dangerous. She's a vampire from my generation!"

"...Wow..." Negi was at a loss for words. "I don't stand a chance against her do I?"

"You're a microbe in her eyes."

"B-but why does she want to do to me?!"

"I don't kno-"

_"Lord Springfield? Are you alright in there?" _Lucinda's melodic voice invaded from outside.

"Oh no." Negi squeaked.

"What is it?!"

"She's coming!" Negi whispered. "We'll continue this conversation later!"

"Negi!"

"I'm sorry master..." Negi snatched the gem away from Chachazero and she regained control over her own body. He saw the doorknob to the room turn and he pocketed the jewel before Lucinda could see it.

"What is the matter Lord Springfield?" She asked, the serene smile never leaving her enticing lips.

"Nothing..." Negi replied hoping that she wasn't able to read his thoughts like Evangeline could.

"How do you like the room?"

"It's like nothing I've ever seen before." Negi replied with a hint of wonder in his voice. Chachazero shuffled against him when Lucinda approached them. Negi went on alert as well. "I'm grateful for your hospitality."

"The pleasure is all mine." Lucinda said with a nod. She took a seat beside Negi on the bed and faced him. "It has been a while since I've seen another. Just having you here with me fills me with a sense of completeness."

"Completeness?" Negi asked.

"Yes..." She cast her eyes downward. "After you've lived as long as I have in a world where we're forced to hide...you get lonely; empty in fact. After a while that loneliness turns in to something horrible. It starts to consume you and before long you become hateful of the things around you." Negi didn't realize her hand as she placed it over his own. Chachazero saw this gesture of intimacy and started to feel her hands twitching for her blades. "When I sensed your presence I was overjoyed." She studied his face intensely, making Negi feel a little scared. "You're gorgeous."

"I-I am?" Negi stammered. "Why, thank you."

"Do you think I'm beautiful?" She suddenly asked.

"Yes...I think you're very beautiful." Negi answered, a voice in the back of his mind crying out for him to find a way out of this awkward situation. There was a fire burning in the mistress's eyes and it was threatening to pull him in. Negi wasn't sure if she was intentionally trying to entrance him with her eyes or if it was just his imagination.

"Beautiful enough to love?" Lucinda urged him on gently.

"W-well, o-of course." Negi replied uncomfortably.

"Will you love me?"

_Oh...my...gawd. Eva-chan...lend me your strength! Please! I am so scared right now!_

* * *

**_Back to FVA..._**

Negi moved around in his sleep, stirring when he felt the softness of the bed beneath his body. It was comforting. It reminded him of the feeling he used to have when he snuck in to Asuna's bed in the middle of the night.

_Hmmm? Why am I in a bed? _Negi flinched as he opened his eyes and slowly sat up in bed. He saw Chachazero sitting on the night table beside the bed and by turning his head to the side a little further he realized that he and Chachazero weren't alone. "E-Eva?" Negi questioned with a yawn when he spotted the chibi-vampire sitting in a long chair beside the bed. She was donning a bathing suit, her hair forming a golden mane that fell over her shoulders down to her lap.

"Good morning boya." Evangeline greeted him with her usual grin. "You slept for quite a while."

"Where am I?" asked Negi, looking around. They were in a small open dome in the middle of some beach. His mind finally clicked and he realized they were in Evangeline's resort. How he got here was something that only managed to make him feel quite confused. "Um..."

"You're wondering how you got here?" Evangeline asked.

"...Yeah."

"Chachamaru found you in the care of Ms. Goodman. You had supposedly passed out at some point during your time with her." Evangeline's voice had a little edge to it when she spoke. She obviously still didn't approve of his friendship with the blonde magistress. "Just so you know that was yesterday."

"Yesterday?!" Negi was suddenly fully awake. "I slept over a day long?!"

"Pretty much." Evangeline shrugged her shoulders as she picked up the Cassiopeia, which was lying on top of the table beside Chachazero. "Without this you wouldn't have been able to participate in the tournament, much less attend to your little activities." The vampiress held it before her eyes to examine it for a moment before commenting, "Really useful device you've got here."

"Wow...a day long..." Negi was still stuck on that.

"Since you're a nocturnal, sleep isn't as required for your body, however, when the time comes that you must regain all of that lost energy you hit a state of dormancy that can last quite a while." She brushed a strand of hair out of her face before continuing, "Mind you, being a day walker makes that dormancy all the more worse."

"So are we going to do our morning training?" Negi asked.

"Nope." Evangeline answered as she stood up and pulled him out of bed. "Today is D-day boya. What you've gained from our training before is what you have to work with. Now..." Evangeline paused to jab a thumb to the beach outside. "If you wanna train with your canine pal out there then be my guest."

"K-kotaro is here?!" Negi asked in surprise.

"So is everyone else." Evangeline mumbled. "They're messing around in the water."

"Why did they come?"

"Their celebration party lasted until four o' clock in the morning. Setsuna asked if they could crash here to get some rest before the tournament so I allowed it." Evangeline raised an eyebrow when Negi simply blinked a few times with a look of shock on his face. "Well?! What's your deal?"

"N-no, it's just...that was very nice of you Eva."

"Nice?" Evangeline scoffed. "Don't ever use that word to describe me. The only reason I allowed them to crash was because I felt it would be a shame to go up against a bunch of tired fools." Evangeline leaned over to him with a devious grin and cupped his chin in her hand. "Of course...I can be nice when I want to...right?"

"S-sure." Negi replied nervously.

"Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for making you crash last night."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe hitting your head on those branches did more than just leave a bump."

"O-oh! You mean that!" Negi nodded his head. "That's alright Eva!"

"Very well then." She turned her back to him and started to walk away. "I can hear Konoka talking about you. You better get out there to meet them before they come looking for you. Oh-" Evangeline tossed something over her shoulder to him and he caught it. "It's a present from me."

"What is it?" Negi asked, looking at the ring like object that his master tossed to him.

"I'm sure it's going to be a pain doing your 'Kung-fu' while clutching that staff of yours so that's a magical activation item that will allow you to cast spells easily. Think of it as a gift from master to disciple."

"Th-thanks mast- I mean, Eva!" Negi blinked a few times. "Erm...how do I-"

"You know I like men that don't have to be told what to do." With those words Evangeline walked away. "Don't lose until you've faced me boya! I shouldn't like to be disappointed by my disciple."

Negi grinned, clutching the ring in his hand. "I intend to please you master."

"Don't we all?" Chachazero quipped unexpectedly.

"Oh...good morning Chacha-chan." He greeted his familiar. He opened his arms to her and the puppet jumped to embrace him with her tiny arms. "Well, today's the day."

"I'm so excited!"

"But I won't be able to take you in to the ring with me."

...Silence...

"Um...Zero?"

* * *

**_Mahora Festival: Day Two (Mahora Budokai)_**

Chao watched the students pour in to the stands of the tournament grounds with a mischievous grin on her face. This was the moment she had been waiting for so long! Her plans were coming in to fruitation and her future was set as long as she played her cards correctly. She would also be able to see Negi in action and that was something she wasn't going to miss for the world! To see the legendary count in action for the first time would be truly epic. This was especially true when some very powerful mages were entered in the tournament.

"Takamichi will be the spark that starts the fuse." Chao said with a confident nod. "Of course, with Mcdowell involved this will be sure to go off with a bang."

"That is a given." A voice chuckled from behind the Chinese girl. Chao turned around to see the mysterious vampiress standing behind her in all of her glory. Chao had to admit that the vampiric cloak that she donned did well to make her intimidating, however, it also made her stand out in a crowd.

"Are you excited as well, Mistress Dorothy?"

"You could say that." The blonde vampiress answered with a nod. She slipped on her shades as she walked to the window to view the people walking in. She had developed a resistance to the rays of the sun over the century but she wasn't a day walker like Evangeline was. If she spent long periods of time out in the daylight her body would eventually succumb to the rays. "I'm eager to see what Mr. Springfield is capable of in his early turning."

"Perhaps not nearly as powerful as he is in the future but I'm sure he won't disappoint you." Chao mused. "I should alert you of one more thing."

"And what is that?" Dorothy asked.

"I'm sure that the mages won't push themselves in this tournament in fear that they'll expose their true nature so I wouldn't expect fireworks too early."

"Very well." Dorothy gasped in delight when she got a glimpse of Negi and the others in the crowd. "There goes my darkling."

"Negi-chan?" Chao looked for him in the crowd and clasped her hands together in a pleasing gesture. "Well, I better make my appearance downstairs then." Chao bowed her head to the vampiress respectfully and headed for the door. "You should take your place at the top observatory deck mistress."

"I'll be there soon."

"Alright." Chao left the room.

_She's definitely her mother's child. They share the same cleverness and personality. Let me hope that she isn't too smart for her own good, however..._ Dorothy walked to the mini bar near the door to take a drink from her wine glass. She licked her lips so the blood wouldn't drip on to her dress and sighed, "Come now Evangel...show me a fine tragedy."

**_------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning to the tournament below..._**

**_------------------------------------------_**

"Well, it looks like I'm up." Kotaro said with a grin as he gave Negi a thumbs up. "Just a little word of advice Negi. If you intend to do 'Shundo-jutsu' then I think you should take that big cloak of yours off before you slip on it."

"It's just I wanted to wear the same out fit as my father." Negi smiled as he patted the cloak.

"Whatever you say but from this point on I want to see your best!" Kotaro pointed an offending finger at him fiercely. "That means we're rivals now!"

"Rivals, eh?" Setsuna mused with a grin, crossing her arms behind them with Asuna and Konoka.

"They're friends for sure." Asuna nodded.

"H-hey! Don't ruin my moment!" Kotaro yelled.

"So they are friends then!" Konoko squealed happily. "That is soooo cute!"

"C-cute?! Oh no woman! You are crossing the line!" Kotaro was bordering on hysterical. When Kazumi called his name the dog demon went stomping away muttering a few curses under his breath. "YOU BETTER WIN TODAY! UNLESS WE MAKE IT TO THE FINALS WE CAN"T FACE EACH OTHER!"

"Alright!" Negi grinned.

"I MEAN IT!"

"Ok!"

"WE'RE RIVALS!"

"I got it already Kotaro! Just go up there and fight!" Negi yelled in annoyance. Kotaro sure was easy to set off.

"Let's head over to the fighter's stands Negi." Setsuna beckoned him to come with them.

"Um, just give me a sec Setsuna-san!" Negi told her, holding out a hand. "I just want to go see Chachamaru first. I had no idea she was going to be a commentarist!" With that Negi ran off to see the android.

"Heh...I almost forgot who he was." Setsuna joked before two shrouded figures caught her eyes. The tall one started following Negi while the shorter one broke off from it's companion and headed in the direction of the ring.

**_-Will contestant, Mei please report to the ring?!-_** Kazumi's words stopped Negi dead in his tracks. He turned around to get a good look at the ring just in time to see Mei pull down her hood. From his standpoint he could see the look of surprise on Kotaro's face as he whipped around to face the young magistress.

"W-wait...but how did she enter?!" Negi asked in disbelief. At the time of the tournament Mei should have been on plaza watch for confessions with Takane. "I didn't see her at the preliminaries!" Negi felt a shiver run down his spine when he sensed a faint dark aura behind him. The familiar chuckle behind him helped with the effect.

"Hn, hn, hn." Negi turned to see a tall hooded figure standing behind him with it's arms crossed.

"...It can't be..."

"It is." Takane pulled off the hood to reveal her grinning face. "Good morning Negi-sensei."

"What are you doing here?!"

"My reason for being here-" She ripped the cloak off her body entirely before she went on, "Is to punish you Negi! After that whole incident with the World Tree you claimed to regret the entire thing and yet the next thing I know, you've entered the Mahora budokai! Explain that to me sensei!"

"W-why are you so mad? I-I thought we were on good terms with each other!" Negi stammered. For a moment he could have sworn that he saw her canine glint in the sunlight. "D-did I do something wrong?"

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID WRONG!" Takane bellowed as thought he had committed an unforgivable crime. "You dare to walk out on me last night at the cafe with that...that dark witch! What am I to believe when I see you together with her, huh?!"

"T-Takane-"

"Don't you try to sweet talk me sensei! You were up to more mischief weren't you?! How were you able to sign up for the tournament when I caught you on that outing with your student?!"

"I-I can explain! Please just calm down!" Negi tried to take a step toward her but she wouldn't allow him to take it.

"You may have caught me off guard yesterday and even the day before that but let's see you pull that off again in a ring with set rules." Takane placed her hands on her hips haughtily. "I plan to take you down Negi and when I do I will donate all the prize money to charity!"

"Miss Goodman, listen to me!" Negi implored, however, his use of her last name got the opposite effect that he desired.

"M-miss Goodman?!" Takane felt a lance go through her heart. "I-is that how it is now MR. SPRINGFIELD?!"

"Oh dear..." Negi squeaked.

"I'll meet you in the ring, Springfield!" Takane spat and with that she bolted off in to the crowd leaving Negi to pick his jaw up from the ground. He simply couldn't understand what went on in the minds of women. First she didn't want him to call her so familiarly and when he went for a much more formal approach she took it as some sort of insult!

"Chacha-chan..."

"Yes master?"

"Can you please tell me what I did wrong?"

"...You got involved with her." Chachazero answered. "I told you she was trouble from the start."

"...I just don't understand girls." Negi sighed, running his hand through his hair. He finally saw Takane take a seat in the fighter's stands and flinched when he saw her whip her head in his direction. How she knew where he was standing was a mystery to him. _Unless she can sense me because of...no...I'm just an underling. There's no way I can have an underling as well!_ He waved away the thought quickly and ran off to do what he originally intended to before Takane stopped him.

"YOU?!" Asuna cried out in surprise.

"And who are...Now I remember. You're that student from last night." Takane said with a slight nod of her head. "So you decided to join as well?"

"Th-that's right." Asuna answered feeling a bit perturbed. "I don't remember seeing you at the preliminaries. How were you able to join?"

"None of your business." Takane replied coldly. Setsuna saw Asuna and the blonde magistress talking and decided to investigate. She watched the verbal spat between her and Negi. She wasn't so comfortable about the nature of their exchange to say the least.

"Ms. Goodman." Setsuna addressed Takane formally.

"Oh." Was Takane's first response. "It's you."

"What is your reason for attending? It wouldn't be to spy on my sensei again...would it?" Setsuna narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "You seem to have developed an obsession with following him. What is your purpose?"

"Don't get the wrong idea!" Takane snapped. "I'm just here to win the prize money for charity."

**_-W-WHAT THE?!-_** Kazumi's outburst caught all the girl's attention, including Negi who had just reach the commentary table. **_-Kotaro used some amazing speed to close the distance and...it was somewhat hard to make out but was that a flat plam impact or an uppercut?! Whatever it was, he just punched that girls ticket for a free ten meter flight!-_**

"M-MEI?!" Takane rose up from her seat quickly. "W-where is she?!"

"Up there..." Asuna pointed out for her just in time to see the young magistress plummet in to the water surrounding the ring.

"Oh gawd! She can't swim!" Takane was ready to dive in to the water after her underling but not a moment later, Kotaro jumped in the water after his opponent. The audience went wild at the touching moment and Takane sighed in relief.

"That's the way it's done!" Negi cheered as he watched everything unfold.

**_-And now on to the next match! Ku:Nel Sanders Vs. Daigoin! Will both fighter's please report to the ring!-_**

"Hmm?" Negi watched a tall person shrouded in what appeared to be a mage cloak enter the ring. The young magi flinched when the person looked up slightly to regard him. Even from the distance they were sharing Negi felt their eyes meet and his hairs stood up. "W-who is that?"

"Who is that guy looking at?" Kotaro wondered aloud. "And what's up with him dressing like a mage? Is it some sort of trend now?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"He does seem to possess strength." Kaede commented from beside Kotaro.

"W-waaaa!" Kotaro jumped back in surprise. "How do you and Ku-Fei keep on doing that?!"

"Don't let that startle you Kotaro or you won't be ready for me." Kaede grinned like a cat.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Kotaro crossed his arms. "Don't take me lightly."

"Never." Kaede chuckled.

"HEY! I MEAN IT!"

Negi covered his ears when Chachamaru's commentary partner went on some crazy rant with a move that the shrouded fighter used to take down Daigoin. To say that he was really in to the tournament was an understatement.

"Hi Chachamaru!" Negi greeted the android.

"O-oh...Negi-kun. How did you find me?" Chachamaru asked nervously or at least Negi interpreted the way she spoke as nervousness.

"Kazumi-san told me you were going to be a commentarist." Negi replied, realizing that the android was actually wearing something different today. She was making a habit of experimenting with different clothes lately. "That's a nice outfit Chachamaru!"

"...I thank you." Chachamaru felt her gears winding quickly. It was causing a warm sensation to spread through out her body. "A-are you going to stay here with me?" She asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

"At least until master Ku goes up to fight." Negi replied. "I have to be there for my master...and speaking of masters, do you know where Eva is?"

"I have not seen her." Chachamaru replied.

"Oh. It's just that she kind of disappeared after I spoke to her at the resort."

"I wouldn't worry about the mistress. She does as she wishes."

"Yeah, you're right." He nodded.

**_-And Ku:Nel Sanders ends the fight with a clean right palm-attack! Seemingly on the defensive, Sanders makes a complete come back! What an upset!-_** Negi saw the shrouded fighter stand over Daigoin's fallen form. As if he sensed Negi, he looked up again to see him before turning away to leave the ring.

"Mysterious, is he not?" Chachamaru suddenly remarked when she caught Negi looking at Sanders.

"Y-yeah. I'm getting chills." Negi replied.

"Perhaps you should head back now Negi-kun."

"Why?"

"Ku-Fei's match will come after Kaede-san's match." Chachamaru replied.

"Who is she up against?"

"Tatsumiya-san, I believe."

"A-are you serious?!"

"That I am."

* * *

Negi ran down to the stands for all he was worth when Kaede took down her opponent quickly. He saw Mana and Ku-Fei heading to the Fighter's stands to await the announcement of their match and he jumped over the rails separating the audience from the ring to save time. There was his master donning her traditional Chinese style outfit as usual while Mana wore a large long jacket that fell down below her knees.

"Master Ku! Commander Tatsumiya!" Negi called out to them as he reached them.

"I thought we agreed on you addressing me as "Mana"." The lovely marksman teased with a wink as she continued to walk beside Ku-Fei.

"Oh yeah...sorry about that!" Negi massaged the back of his neck nervously before joining his master by her side.

"I'll just excuse myself." Mana said before walking on ahead to leave the two of them alone.

"G-go Master Ku!" Negi cheered. "Y-you can beat Tatsumiya-san right?" To Negi, Mana was some sort of unfathomable force. She was cold, calculative, and clever and when she was given the chance to strike her target always fell.

"O-oh no. Is no way." Ku-Fei answered with a humble smile.

"Huh?! You've got to be kidding me!" Kotaro cried out, running to Negi and Ku-Fei. "How are they going to put you up against HER," He jabbed a trembling thumb at Mana, "Tatsumi-nechan's a gun user, not a user of the arts."

"Regardless, Mana is veteran of true battle field. Even if no using guns, no is competing with that kind of experience."

"Master Ku." Negi didn't understand how his master could be so calm.

"I happy to come to this school. I meet so many strong fighters." Ku-Fei placed a hand on her disciple's head before ruffling it affectionately. "I never having real all out fight with anyone. Now this is so." She looked in to Negi's eyes and grinned. "You watch master well. Sometimes best way to learn is not through lesson but through watching actual fight." With that she walked away. "Watch well!"

"I will, Master Ku!"

**_------------------------------------------_**

**_Ku-Fei Vs. Tatsumiya..._**

**_-----------------------------------------_**

**_-A-A-And we're back! Listen to this crowd! This next match could be the main even everyone has been waiting for!-_** Kazumi had the crowd going will as she stepped in the center of the ring to announce the name of the challengers. She had to admit that she loved the feeling of being in the ring even if she wasn't participating. **_-In this corner!-_** She pointed to the left where Ku-Fei stood proudly. **_-Last year's Ulti-Mahora champion...KU-FEI!!-_**

"Talk about popularity!" Kotaro yelled to Negi so the young magi could hear his voice over the screams of the audience.

"Everyone loves her!" Negi smiled.

**_-And in this corner!-_** Kazumi pointed to Mana who seemed to have the same eerie smirk on her face since she entered the ring. **_-The Tatsumiya Shrine's only daughter...TATSUMIYA MANA!-_**

"She has the look of death in her eyes." Takane observed Mana. "I'm thinking that this match will actually be worth watching." She saw Negi watching intensely with Kotaro and smirked to herself. "Keep your eyes peeled just like that when I enter the ring Negi-kun...I'll blow your mind."

"_YOU GO CHAIRMAN KU-FEI_!"

"_SHOW HER WHAT YOU GOT_!"

The cheers from all of her fans made Ku-Fei stand a little prouder.

"Are you sure that you want to go through with this?" Mana asked, placing a hand in the pocket of her long jacket. "Lose to me here and you'll surely disappoint all your fans."

"This is no fame contest." Ku-Fei retorted with a grin. "I only here to fight worthy opponent. Nothing more, nothing less! Don't you dare hold back in our fight!"

Of course not." Mana's expression suddenly became fearsome. "In war, "taking it easy" is quite foreign to me."

**_-START MATCH NO. 4!-_**

As soon as Ku-Fei heard those words the entire world became focused on the marksman before her, however, even as Kazumi's last word left her lips the Chinese girl saw a tiny glint of light come from Mana's hand. Ku-Fei had no time to analyze the source of light before the white-hot beam smacked her dead in the forehead! The pain that immediately stabbed her cranium was enough to make her black out.

**_-What the...-_** Even Kazumi was startled when Ku-Fei suddenly flew back a few feet before slamming in to the ring with a few rolls. She came to a stop near the edge of the ring and simply laid there with her hair overshadowing her closed eyes. The entire stands was overcome by a deathly silence as the audience tried to allow their minds to process what had just happened.

"M...Master?" Negi was almost speechless, watching her still form simply lay there. He regarded Mana dumb founded and the lovely marksman winked at him. "...Mana...what did you do to her?"

"I didn't even catch that." Kotaro rubbed his eyes to see if he had just gone cross-eyed.

**_-WHAT IN THE WORLD JUST HAPPENED?! No sooner did the match start, than Ku-Fei get thrown to a far distance!-_** She took a step back when she heard something clink on the ground beside her feet.**_ - What is this? A five hundred yen piece?!-_**

"Hang in there master!" Negi yelled.

"Get back up Ku!" Mana yelled. "You can't fool me!" Mana turned to Kazumi and ordered, "Get back Asakura."

"U-Um...alright." Kazumi listened wisely.

Suddenly without warning Ku-Fei shot both of her legs in the air and turn her hips to the left before jerking the to the side. She slammed her hands on the ground and pushed off to send herself landing back on her feet gracefully. At once the whole crowd went wild again at the return of the chairman.

"This is where it starts." Setsuna commented with a smirk. "Ojo-sama..." She turned to Konoka. "Please stay behind me."

"Alright." Konoka did as she was told.

"Great! I knew this wouldn't be a disappointment." Asuna said excitedly. "Come on KU!!!"

"Now come!" Ku-Fei challenged Mana, dropping in to a stance.

"I will!" Mana held out her hands and two rolls of yen fell in to her hands. Ku-Fei saw a burst of light explode from the marksman's hands and she charged forward, her eyes darting around at the yen coins that were shot in her direction in white hot beams that broke the sound barrier. She dipped under one coin; whipped around to the left just in time to let another coin brush a few centimeters from her face; slid under two that were zeroing in on her chest and did an elaborate maneuver as she twirled in the air in between a volley of yen coins.

**_-Such super human speed!-_**

"COME ON!" Mana ducked under a kick from Ku-Fei as the girl pushed off against the floor with her hands to send herself flying over another volley of coins. The marksman side-stepped Ku-Fei again when she landed on her hands once more and twirled in an attempt to catch her with a few spinning kicks that were sure to do some damage. Mana tried to shoot a point blank shot at the chairman but in a blur the chines girl was in the air again. Ku-Fei curled in to a ball and waited for a few spins to gain some momentum before coming down with an axe kick that crushed the floorboards of the stage when Mana jumped back to avoid being hit.

"She's quick too!" Kotaro pointed out when Mana had managed to get to the other side of the ring again in an explosion of smoke that kicked up from the speed she picked up on her run. Ku-Fei's eyes widened with horror when she saw another explosion of light burst from Mana's hands. She rolled under a few coins but she was sent spinning back when a coin struck her side! Ku-fei did a tuck roll and landed back on her feet. She timed a kick to knock away two incoming coins only to find out that it wasn't very wise when pain shot through the ball of her foot.

"AH! Need to get in closer!" Ku-Fei hissed against the pain that exploded in her foot when she stood her ground again. She knew that it was going to affect her speed somehow but, "I must try!"

"Huh?" Mana braced herself when Ku slashed at the air with an open hand. The velocity she swung it at was enough to cause a similar air pocket explosion to Kotaro's. Some of the shattered floorboards and coins were whipped up in the air.

"Amazing." Negi was in complete awe. Then he realized what she was about to do. The footing she did was the exact form for 'Shundo-jutsu'.

"That is some top-notch form right there." Kotaro said with a nod. "She makes my form look so flawed, it's hurting my pride."

"Hyaaa!" Ku-Fei kicked off despite the pain in her foot and managed to close the distance between her and Mana in the blink of an eye. She attempted to strike Mana in the gut with a clean elbow shot but Mana's acute eyes picked up the motion of the attack and she stepped to the side in time to dodge. Both girl's eyes connected for a crucial moment as they both passed each other and Mana was taken by surprise when Ku-Fei turned on her heel and lunged at her.

"She did it!" Negi cried out.

"That wasn't a shundo." Setsuna observed. "That was a kappo from Hakkyoku-ken."

_Now I must strike!_ Ku thought desperately but she was startled in the heat of battle when Mana's hand was directly under her chin in a blur. "Huh?!"

"I'm not limited by distance!" Mana screamed. Ku-Fei's ears were blown to the point of loss of hearing when Mana clipped her two fingers at such force that her hair was rushing upwards from the explosion of air. None of that was processed by her mind, however, as the coin in Mana's hand made an explosion of pain destruct in her chin. Her head was struck back with such force that she was sent flying upwards until she was more than a few feet in the air! When she finally landed on the ground Mana narrowed her eyes intensely and held out her hand for another roll of coins to slip on to her hand again.

"No mercy." Was her chilling declaration before another explosion of light bursted in Ku-Fei's direction. She gasped in pain when two coin struck her in the shoulder and her chest but she rolled along with the force to lessen the impact, however, another coin managed to pin point her forehead. All concentration was instantly lost and the next volley of coins struck her in various spots around her body. She smacked the offending floor again and even still two more coins shot pain through her right shoulder and left knee. A trickle of blood slipped down from a cut on her forehead and she closed her right eye to keep it from blinding her. Her clothes were ripped to shreds in the spots on her body that some of the coins managed to make a clean connection and her body started to feel heavy.

"HARSH!" Asuna screamed.

"This truly will be etched in the history of this tournament." Setsuna said grimly.

_Just as I thought...she is very strong._ Ku-Fei spied Mana from the corner of her open eye, not daring to lift her head up in fear that Mana would simply try to take her down with another shot._ Is way better than me...I'm sorry Negi..._

_"MASTER KU!"_

_...Negi?_Ku- Fei turned her head slightly to see Negi yelling to her from the rails of the stands. He was practically hanging off from the edge and what were those in his eyes...tears? Were those tears for her?

_"KU-FEI-SAN! YOU CAN DO THIS!" _He yelled fiercely.

"The end is here Ku..." Mana said with a bit of disappointment in her voice. _Get up already Ku. Don't leave me hanging here like this or I'll never look at you the same again!_ A smirk crossed the lovely marksman's lips when she saw Ku-Fei's hands grip that sash around her waist.

"This determination I feel..." Ku-Fei muttered, a flame burning alight in her brilliant eyes. "I still have...this!" She heard the explosion from Mana's finger tips again as expected but before the white hot coins could get any closer to the chairman she got back to her feet and lashed at the shining beams with her sash with such speed that it sounded with a reverberating clank when it made contact with the flying yen coins! Mana went in for the offensive again but Ku-Fei saw this and lashed the sash in her hand at an angle that allowed her to bind the marksman's right hand against her face with a slap.

"Impressive." Was Mana's muffled word as she felt the sting of the slap from her own hand against her face. "So that sash wasn't just part of your costume..."

"Can't show weakness before disciple!" Ku-Fei declared.

**_-She's done it! The chairman has been able to capture the formidable Tatsumiya! Now what will ens...-_**

**_SNAP!_**

Ku-Fei pulled back when Mana snapped the sash with a well-aimed shot from her free hand. The chairman didn't dare waste any time as she snapped back the sash with the crack of a whip and swung it back roughly before letting it fly quickly at Mana like a spear.

"A cloth spear?!" Setsuna grinned.

"You don't see that much!" Kotaro exclaimed in amazement.

"Not so easy, hmm?!" Mana was on the defensive now as she dodged lash after lash from Ku-Fei in what seemed to be a ferocious waltz between both girls. The crowd was screaming and cheering now as the epic duel went on. Mana sent two coins flying at the arm the Ku-Fei was using to lash the cloth spear at her and expected her to let down but the master was relentless as the sash binded Mana's arm with a sharp crack!

"NOW!" Ku-Fei pulled back with all her might to send Mana skidding towards her. She pulled back her free hand and it began to tremor violently with the building Chi that she gathered while Mana allowed another roll of coins to slip in to her free hand in preparation from a final point blank strike!

**_-IS THIS IT?!-_** Kazumi cried out as the excitement overwhelmed her sense. There was a sudden silence when there was an explosion as both girls delivered their final attack. The floor boards were cracked in to splinters by the sudden volley of coins that shot in random directions and the floor boards behind Mana split in two when the force from Ku-Fei's Chi attack passed through her, finally stopping when it parted the water beyond the ring and slammed with a rumbling thud against the walls supporting the stands.

"Ah..." Ku-Fei fell to her knees and rested her head against Mana's stomach.

"That was a nice try..." Mana coughed with a smirk but the smile on Ku-Fei's lips when the girl looked up at her made her suspicious.

"I not finished." Ku-Fei laughed.

"Wha-" Mana flet her press her hand against her flat stomach and an odd sensation surrounded the spot where the chairman touched her before she experienced what felt like a log slamming in to her body. "UGhhh!" Mana's jacket exploded from the force of chi and she fell to the ground.

**_-Challenger Ku-Fei wins! With the defeat of Tatsumiya she advances to the second round!- _**

"MASTER KU!" Ku-Fei turned around just in time to feel Negi slam against her. The girl almost lost consciousness as he embraced her and she giggled infectiously. "You did it Master Ku! You really defeated Tatsumiya!"

"Ha, ha..." She placed a hand on Negi's head. "I appreciate this disciple but you will defeat me if you keep this up..." She joked.

"Oh!" Negi loosened his hold on her quickly. "I'm sorry!"

"Don't be." Ku grinned affectionately.

* * *

"Look at them embracing like that." Evangeline muttered as she watched the scene unfold before her and Takamichi. "That is not how a master and disciple show respect to each other." The vampiress crossed her arms and let out a sniff of agitation.

"You aren't jealous are you Eva-san?" Takamichi asked with a grin.

"Please.." Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Hardly..."

"Well, my match with Negi is near."

"That'll sure be something." Evangeline smirked evilly. "I should advise you right now. Take Negi seriously or you'll be in for a heap of trouble."

"Whatever do you mean?" Takamichi laughed.

"You know what I mean. Don't hold back too much or you'll get hurt."

"Don't worry about that..."

* * *

Chao and Dorothy watched from the top stand in their chairs. The scientist clapped her hands at the sight of the crushed stage and giggled, "Now this is why I love this place."

"And what of the darkling?" Dorothy asked. "When will I see him in all of his splendor?"

"Don't worry...you will soon." Chao grinned. "And believe me when I say that it will be the making of a legend."

"I have no doubt in that." The dark mistress said with a smirk. "It's time for the beginning of a new chapter. The birth of the darkness in it's true form will come with the awakening of that boy."

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_Whew! I want to write so much more but I feel that I should leave the other ideas for the next chapter. Besides, I've just fried my mind already...ahem...anyway, the next chapter is when everything hits the fan so to speak and the clash of the titans will commence._

_Takamichi and Negi have yet to face off but when they will I aim to make it as brutal as it was in the manga...maybe a bit more than that._

_Well, until next time..._

**_Traingham..._**

**_P.S: WE FINALLY MADE IT TO DAY TWO!_**


	18. Under her Influence

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters…

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Eighteen: Dark Intent_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

The class of 3-A had dramatically changed ever since Negi set out for mysterious reasons from Mahora Campus. The only people who truly knew why he had taken his leave were Takamichi, Evangeline, Mana and Chao Lingshen. He offered no explanation to Asuna despite her constant hounding when he started to throw hints of leaving. She couldn't hate the young magi. He told her good-bye before he left but the fact that he left her in the dark made her want to scream to the heavens. Konoka hadn't taken his leave too well either. She held him in regard like a little brother and to lose him was enough to crush her heart to the point that she had not eaten for a few days.

Ku-Fei tried not to show how affected she was by the leave of her disciple but it was quite clear to those who really paid attention to her. The increase of training she put herself through and her weary demeanor during the morning classes made this noticeable. Makie had grown a little mature since Negi's absence and Ayaka had suddenly become rather quiet as opposed to her usual boastful self. Kazumi didn't seem to be affected as much as the others, however, Sayo didn't seem to be herself. Mana and Setsuna had once again become rather distant; Konoka being the only one who seemed to ever get the swordsman's attention. Chisame's gradual social development had come to a standstill and Kaede was beginning to feel rather dull in the mountains where she trained. The class of 3-A still strived to regain their upbeat standards but something just didn't feel right without the young teacher.

"Do you regret allowing him to go on alone?" Shizuna asked Takamichi as they shared a drink at one of the outdoor tables near the Starbooks Cafe, which was running wild with the arrival of new freshman students for the new school year. This was the fourth time that lovely counselor had asked the English teacher this certain question.

"How could I possibly answer that question?" Takamichi replied as he inhaled softly from the cigarette he was smoking. He could still remember the looks of disappointment he was faced with when he returned to becoming the homeroom teacher of class 3-A; the guilt he felt when the girls asked him where Negi Springfield had gone. He had to admit in the back of his mind that he was rather angry at Negi for making the decision so suddenly yet at the same time he couldn't help but feel some excitement that the young magi was actually going out in the world alone.

"I wanted to accompany him but he told me that he wanted to do it alone." Takamichi chuckled as he extinguished the cigarette, smashing the burning ashes in the tray before him. "He said that he wouldn't want Asuna to be angry at him because he took me away from her."

"Always has an excuse for everything doesn't he?" Shizuna asked with a good-natured grin.

"He sure does...he sure does..." Takamichi mused. "It just hasn't been the same without him though. I'm beginning to miss talking with him. I was happy when he took the job as an English teacher. I..." He stopped for a moment. "...I guess I was just trying to keep a part of Nagi safe with me. Is that wrong?"

"It depends." Shizuna answered. "Did you care for him as an individual or did you only care for him because he was the last part of Nagi that was still around?"

"...I...I'm not..."

"Don't answer too quickly. I'm not trying to make you out to be a bad person Takahata-sensei." Shizuna removed her glasses and placed them on the table. "There are a lot of others who feel the same way."

"You mean Evangeline-san?"

"I don't know about her..."

"She has been a little more irritable lately thought hasn't she?"

"So I've heard from the other girls who attend classes with her." Shizuna replied. "What do you think? She is in your homeroom isn't she?"

"She's been absent for a full week and the same could be said of Chachamaru who is usually present in her place." Takamichi replied with a slight shake of his head. "I wonder if she's avoiding me..."

"And why is that?"

"Because Negi left the campus to seek out information about the spell that breaks the Scholasticus curse."

"Is that the reason he left?" Shizuna seemed to be rather hesitant with her next words. "Is that even...safe?"

"What?"

"Releasing Evangeline from the curse?"

"That is the question isn't it?" Takamichi chuckled. "No matter how much the girls try to reform her she never seems to change much. In fact ever since Negi arrived on campus she had become quite a bit more aggressive."

"He kept her busy though." Shizuna laughed.

"He sure did. He was her "kryptonite" in a manner of speaking." Takamichi humored her. "Who knows...maybe by the time Negi comes back we'll have another Crimson Wings on our hands. Oh, what a wonder that would be..."

"Are you reminiscing?"

"I can't help it." Takamichi laughed.

**_---------------------------------------_**

**_Somewhere..._**

**_---------------------------------------_**

Life had been hard on Negi in the past but this was just starting to get really ridiculous. He figured that with all of his nocturnal powers all this travelling would be a cinch but so far all it's been doing is getting him in trouble with people he didn't even know existed. The magi trudged through the endless woods until he finally worked his way out to an opening. It was a fine change from all of the green he had been seeing for the past few hours. He couldn't fly around in this area since Lucinda was probably on the look out for him and she proved to be an even faster opponent in the air than Evangeline was.

"Hmm?" Negi tapped his foot when he stumbled across a street. He turned his head to the right and he found an intersection with some stoplights to regulate the flow of cars. "You've got to be kidding me..." Negi mumbled much to Chachazero's amusement. The little puppet could already sense her master's frustration as he set his sights to the left. There before his eyes was a town in all of its heavenly glory! There were stores, a few buildings and a some strange structures that looked like something out of some sci fi movie but what caught the magi's attention most of all was the row of pay phones lined across the sidewalk. There were already some people occupying them but luckily for him there were two that weren't in use near the end of the row.

"It looks like we've been near some civilization after all." Chachazero remarked with an evil cackle. "Makes one wonder how you weren't able to sense it."

"Don't rub it in." Negi told her with a grin. "Well..." Negi approached the row of pay phones with a big smile on his face as he dug in to his sleeve pocket to get some change. "...It's time to drop master a line." Negi pictured Evangeline's face when she'd hear about what he had been through for the past thirty-seven hours...yes, he counted. When he reached one of the phones, the young woman next to him stole a glance at him and quirked an eyebrow at his messy appearance; not to mention the large staff that was wrapped securely to his back.

"Let's see...what was that number?" Negi thought aloud as he picked the phone off from it's receiver. "Oh!" A look of excitement flashed across his face when he remembered. _Wow...that trip sure has made me kind of parched. I should..._Negi's thoughts trailed off as he breifly turned his attention to the young woman beside him who was talking on the phone. She looked at the young magi when she noticed his eyes on her and offered him a friendly grin as a light blush crept up on her cheeks.

_N-NO!_ Negi turned away quickly much to the girl's amusement since she believed he was simply a little shy. What followed after that was her explanation to the person she was talking to as to what she was giggling about. Obviously that person on the other line wasn't happy with her at the moment._ I can't think about that sort of stuff right now! Master told me not to let my thirst get the best of me! Anyway, I better make this call..._

* * *

**_Evangeline's Residence..._**

Evangeline took a seat on the couch in the living room as Chachamaru set down a tea platter before her on the coffee table. The android bowed to her after she handed the chibi-vampire a cup and went off to the corner of the to retrieve her violin from it's case with it's bow. Evangeline raised an eyebrow curiously at her servant for a moment as Chachamaru started playing and shrugged her shoulders before taking a generous sip from her teacup. It was actually kind of nice to have a drink with some soothing music to keep her entertained.

"I wonder what compelled her to start playing..." Evangeline mused as she set down her cup. She had to admit that the android was playing pretty well and the passionate expression on her face as she moved the bow across the strings of her violin was quite believable. _As if Chachamaru could actually feel passionate about the music she's playing._ Evangeline laughed at the very thought. That would be the da-

_The sudden ringing from the living room phone pulled her away from her thoughts..._

"Negi?"Evangeline stood up from the couch and walked to the phone quickly as Chachamaru stopped playing her violin. The eagerness in the android's eyes as she watched her mistress pick up the phone was unreal. Chachamaru had been waiting for Negi to call again since she started to pick up on some instruments. She wanted to inform him about her progress with them.

"Hello?" Evangeline greeted Negi, placing a hand on her hip.

_"Good afternoon Eva!"_ Came Negi's excited voice.

"So you managed to escape..." Evangeline allowed a relieved expression to wash over her face since her underling wasn't in the room with her. "...That is something I wasn't expecting."

_"What do you mean?! Don't you have any faith in me at all?!"_

"With McVicar around?" Evangeline chuckled darkly. "I didn't think you'd stand a chance against her temptress charms and if you did I expected her to immobilize you and keep you prisoner until you submitted to her persuasive methods." Evangeline sounded simply evil when she spoke her last words. "It was either that or she probably would have sucked you dry to spite me."

_"...Not one to beat around the bush, eh?"_ Negi asked as he scratched his chin. Now that she told him that, he seriously didn't want to cross paths with Lucinda again. It was disturbing enough for him when the Dark Mistress tried to seduce him in to spending the night with her in her bed and he knew where that would have lead to if she managed to entrance him with her eyes. These "Persuasive Methods" as Evangeline saw fit to call them wasn't something he was looking forward to either.

"I need to be straight forward with you about these things if I expect you to make smart decisions out there in the world without me around." Evangeline stole a glance at Chachamaru who had been standing beside her with her usual dead panned expression. The odd look in the android's eyes contradicted the impassionate look though. "By the way Negi..." The vampiress turned away from her servant. "I want you back here at Mahora by December whether you find anything about the curse or not, is that understood?"

_"B-but Eva, that's isn't even enough time for me! I'm having enough trouble as it is making progress with all of these mishaps."_ Negi whined. The sounds of his deep voice due to his older illusion mixed with his whining made a vein pop out on Evangeline's forehead. Some things still had not changed with her disciple despite his travels and as much as that relieved her it also annoyed the hell out of her too.

"I don't care!" Evangeline yelled as she slammed her free hand against her forehead. "Your bratty student's are getting on my last nerves already! All they do is mope around and ask me about you every time they see me!" Evangeline wouldn't dare let him know that she was sort of moping around herself with his absence. "And don't get me started on Kagarazaka and Konoe. The least you can do is show up on Christmas for them!"

_"Y-yes m-master!"_

_I've still got it._ Evangeline thought with a grin when she heard Negi stammer. "What did I say about calling me master anymore?"

_"I m-mean, Eva-chan!"_

"That's better..." The vampiress purred before looking back at Chachamaru who seemed to be hovering over her now. "I think Chachamaru wants to speak with you."

_"She does?"_

"Yeah." Evangeline handed the phone over to her servant before walking off with a side-glance. All of this emotional development that Chachamaru had been making was really beginning to disturb her. She wasn't accustomed to seeing the android so giddy about something and she wasn't about to either.

"Good afternoon Negi-kun." Chachamaru greeted the magi.

_"That's a voice I haven't heard in a while!" _Negi remarked playfully. His words made Chachamaru's face heat up. Just the very sound of his voice was enough to make her react in such a way.

"I have eagerly awaited the day to hear your voice again as well." Evangeline rolled her eyes when she heard the android say that. How is it that she could say something like that to Negi? Evangeline couldn't even help to say something like that. It just wasn't her style. The vampiress listened intently as Chachamaru informed Negi on her progress with the violin and the piano. Then she mentioned some recipes to the young magi and suggested that he tried it out some time on his travels. Apparently the android had been giving him lessons in cooking some time before he departed from Maharo. Why wasn't she aware of this?

"...I'll have my way with him when he comes back." Evangeline smirked mischievously. "I'll rock the world beneath his feet."

**_-------------------------------------------------_**

**_Some time later..._**

**_-------------------------------------------------_**

"Thank you! You are so kind!" Negi almost had tears in his eyes as he accepted a glass of water from a young girl he met standing in front of a house he stopped at as he was wandering the town. The young vampire managed to reach a town a safe distance from where he met a certain female vampire hunter.

"You're welcome mister." The girl said with a smile before the door to the house opened. Her mother stood at the door with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot with a look of annoyance plastered over her face.

"Mellisa, how many times have I told you not to speak with strangers?" She saw the glass in Negi's hand and cleared her throat. "...And not take care of them..."

"But this guy looks really nice!" The girl pouted. "He has a really cute doll with him too!" Her words made Chachazero roll her eyes unnoticeably. She hated it when people kept on calling her that and yet she couldn't say they were wrong.

"A doll?" The older woman shot Negi a disturbed look after her eyes wandered over to Chachazero for a brief moment.

"Oh!" Negi pointed to his familiar. "It was a gift from my younger sister before I left my home. She didn't want me to forget her so she gave it to me as something to remember her by." Inwardly Negi laughed at the thought of how Evangeline would respond to his lie. He would probably never hear the end of it if she heard that one. He finished drinking the water and hesitantly handed it over to the girl. "Thanks again!"

"You're welcome!" She cried out giddily.

"Get back inside Mellisa." The woman ordered her daughter, running a hand down her own face with a sigh. "Go watch your...cartoons or something."

"Alright mommy!" When the girl ran back inside the mother turned back to Negi with a mellow smile.

"I'm sorry about that stranger."

"T-that's alright!" Negi assured her. "Your daughter saved me! I was about to die of thirst." The young magi joked light heartedly.

"It's just you never know what's going to happen to your children these days with all those wacky freaks around now." She placed her left hand against her forehead as she shook her head and asked, "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Negi sympathized with her.

"Huh?" She opened one eye. "You have a child?"

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Then how would you understand?"

"...I guess I wouldn't..." Negi found himself feeling a little confused.

"Then don't act like you understand."

"Erm, sorry." He apologized. _I wonder what's her issue..._

"Heh! I'm just messin' with ya!" The woman suddenly looked younger as a mischievous grin danced across her lovely lips. She extended a friendly hand and introduced herself. "My name is Felecia Kerrigan! Like I said, I'm really sorry about all that."

"That's fine! I mean it."

"And your name is..." She trailed off for him to answer.

"Oh, sorry about that!" Negi apologized, massaging the back of his neck with his free hand. "My name is Negi Springfield! Nice to meet you." He let his hand drop back at his side when she let go of it and she observed his appearance.

"What's up with the weird clothes mister? Are you traveling or something?"

"Yeah." Negi patted his traveling gear for some emphasis. "I'm just, uh, doing some exploring. You know, expanding my horizons."

"Well, that's a refreshing change! These days teenagers are more interested in shopping or clubbing. Say now, you look young enough to be my son." Her words made Negi blink. Surely this woman wasn't that old was she? He'd taken the form of a seventeen year old at most. He was afraid to use his older disguise since Lucinda recognized him well in that form and she could've been anywhere at the moment.

"Um, how old are yo-"

"Hey!" She cut him off. "You should know better than to ask a woman her age."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that!" Negi suddenly didn't feel so comfortable around this woman. He had better find an excuse to make his escape. "I'm seriously starving. Do you know where I can get something to eat?"

"Sure I do." She pointed to a place somewhere behind him. "We have a restaurant in town that's pretty famous for it's Chinese cuisine." She leaned over a bit and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Rumor is, the cook is some mad scientist involved with the mafia or something. Now I don't know about the whole mafia part but the whole mad scientist bit sounds pretty believable. You can always hear something exploding in the middle of the night because of her bizarre projects."

"Her?" Negi asked. This female cook was a scientist as well? Something about what he was hearing was beginning to give him goose bumps.

"It's just the gossip of women!" Felecia waved her hand casually as if to brush aside the very thought. "Most of them are just jealous because the girl is quite pretty. Every guy goes to her restaurant just because they want their chance at her but she's always much more interested in her work than men. Don't get the wrong idea though! Her cooking is phenomenal as well! My daughter always begs me to take her there, heheh!"

_As much as I hate to think it...this woman is really talking up a storm! Looks are pretty deceiving, huh?!_ Negi felt a bead of sweat threatening to slip down the side of his forehead. "Um, what's her name?"

"Well, well...is mister Springfield interested in her already?" She joked.

"...Sure." Anything to get this conversation moving.

"Well...I just know that her last name is Chao. At least that's what the waitresses there address her by."

"C-Chao?!" Negi stammered.

"Yep. Um, do you know her?"

"It's, er, complicated! Where is the restaurant again?"

"Just head down the west street. You can't miss it."

"Thanks!" Negi bided her farewell quickly and made his way to the town square to find the west street. He was walking so fast that Chachazero needed to get a firmer grip on his hair. This was the moment Negi had been dreading yet at the same time his curiosity screamed for him to find the connection. If he was lucky this woman might be his connection to Chao Lingshen and why not? He already tangoed with a Dark Mistress and got pursued by a self-proclaimed vampire hunter to boot. Why couldn't his luck work for his benefit for once...or was this meeting destined to be like all the rest?

* * *

**_Mahora Festival: Day Two (Mahora Budokai, Match Five)_**

Mana walked the halls of the arena building without even the slightest limp, which would have brought upon quite a shock to those who had seen her match with Ku-Fei earlier. The only thing on her body that truly showed signs of damage was her white long jacket which had been completely annihilated by Ku-Fei's final Ki attack. The lovely marksman had to admit that her blood was running wild with excitement as she fought the chairman. It was only a shame that she wouldn't be able to face Setsuna, Kaede or Negi now that she was eliminated from the match ups.

"Well...it couldn't be helped." Mana chuckled to herself. She ripped off her torn and tattered jacket when she saw a garbage can up ahead and tossed it in before entering the main technical room where Chao had been waiting for her. The only source of light came from the computers that were on and the large screen at the very front that allowed the scientist to view what was going on in the tournament.

"Good job!" Chao praised her associate when she walked in. Mana actually felt a slight chill when she saw the pleased grin on Chao's face. She stole a glance over the scientist's shoulder to see two gleaming gold orbs in the darkness belonging to Mistress Dorothy. The Dark mistress was seated with her legs crossed on one of the chairs on the other side of the room with her hands folded on her lap.

"Just doing as I was told." Mana replied to Chao's praise. She didn't allow her eyes to linger long on the Dark Mistress. There was something about her gaze that she didn't want to get lost in.

"Regardless of that, you made that defeat look quite believable." Chao pulled out a thick packet from her sleeve and held it out to the marksman. "We couldn't have the crowd's sweet heart going down in the first round. Here is your reward."

Mana regarded that thick packet in the Chinese girl's hand for moment before closing her eyes with a light laugh. "No...I think I'd rather not accept it."

"Why not?"

"Because that match was satisfying enough...besides..." Mana looked over her shoulder to look at Ku-Fei and Negi together in the ring with the girls surrounding them. The relieved look on the young magi's face made Mana grin. "...To do such a thing would have truly made me hated by all."_ And I wouldn't want that from you sensei...ever..._

* * *

"W-whoa!" Negi supported his master when she almost stumbled to the side. "Watch out Master Ku." Mana really managed to leave Ku-Fei in a battered mess. Her abdomen was screaming for medical attention and her legs were feeling a little flimsy. It would be a miracle if she was even able to recover in time for her next match. Asuna, Setsuna, and Konoka were shooting threatening glares at the young men who were fighting to get a good peek at the chairman since her clothes were practically ripped to shreds.

"I hurt pretty bad now." Ku-Fei said light heartedly despite the pain she was feeling. "You may have to take from her disciple."

"What do you mean? You aren't going to drop out are you?" Negi asked hesitantly.

"I no know." Ku-Fei touched her side for a moment and winced from the soreness she felt. "I want to fight more...but maybe no is good idea." Negi had the urge to roll his eyes when Kotaro squeezed past the other girls to walk beside him. The smirk on the young man's face was all the young magi had to see to understand the nature of the conversation he was about to have with him.

"You get so emotional whenever someone you know is up on the ring!" Kotaro teased mischievously. "I thought you were about to burst out in tears when Ku-nechan was getting herself beat up out there." He inwardly cringed when he saw how Ku-Fei's shoulders kind of slumped at his comment. "O-of course, I was rooting for you all the way!"

"Thank you Kotaro." Ku-Fei said sagely. "I appreciate disciple's concern. Negi is reason I...er..."

"What was that?!" Konoka was suddenly with them with life gleaming brilliantly in her eyes. "What were you about to say Ku-chan?!"

"I...uh...nothing! Nothing at all!" The chairman began to blush crimson. She found herself getting rather uncomfortable when Konoka persisted and leaned over to her a bit closer. "I mean..er...no can lose in front of disciple! That what I mean!" The Chinese girl began to limp a bit faster to get away from Konoka, forcing Negi to increase his speed as well.

"Let's get you to the infirmary." Negi told Ku-Fei. They entered the building and headed toward the medical wing but their walk was interrupted when Chao came out of the elevator and stood before them with her usual grin crossing her lips. Negi felt oddly warm at the very sight of her but he decided to to investigate the feeling. He already had way to many things on his mind to add a little more weight to his problems.

"I figured that I'd meet you here chairman." Chao said with a slight bow. Ku-Fei nodded to Negi so he could let her go and returned the bow. "I really must congratulate you on a good match out there on the ring. I'm sure you had a lot of your faithful followers on the edge of their seats."

"Thank you."

"Will you be able to participate any further?" Chao asked as her eyes wandered over Ku-Fei's arm. "Mana seems to have left you a few injuries."

"Unfortunately my fight ends here." Ku-Fei replied calmly as she placed her good hand on Negi's head. "Disciple will take master's place from here..." She stopped to offer Negi a cocky girn. "Right disciple?"

"Y-yes master Ku!" Negi nodded quickly.

"Ahhh, Negi..." Chao's eyes were filled with a deep mischief as she clasped her hands together. "I've been meaning to meet with you before your match with Takahata sensei." She approached the young magi and placed a hand on his shoulder as she nodded to Ku-Fei. "If you don't mind, I'll be relieving you of your disciple for a moment."

"Don't mind." Ku-Fei replied.

"Excellent." Chao led Negi away from his master much to his discomfort. He really wanted to spend his time before his match with Ku-Fei and right now he didn't really feel all that comfortable with Chao. There was something about her that was seriously beginning to irk him even more so than before. "Are you excited?"

"Me? About that match?" Negi asked.

"Yes."

"More like nervous actually." Negi replied.

"That's natural." Chao nodded, stopping in front of the elevator to press the button. "There are a lot of participants who are nervous about getting in to the ring with Takamichi. He isn't nicknamed "Death Specs" for nothing, you know." Her words got a nervous chuckle out of Negi as his anxieties started to feel a little worse. He already knew what kind of man he was going to face. The last thing he really needed was for anyone to remind him.

"So is there something that you wanted to speak with me about?"

"Quick to get to the point, eh?" Chao asked. "Are you really that eager to end this meeting with me?" She feigned a little sadness as a frown came upon her lips. "That isn't very nice Negi-chan."

"N-no! It's nothing like that!" Negi assured her.

"I'm just messing with you Negi. No need to get so excited. The reason I wanted to meet with you is because I have somebody I'd like for you to meet." Chao placed her hand against his back when the elevator opened to lead him inside with her. She pressed the button for the top floor and turned back to Negi. "You see, she's been awaiting this moment to meet you as well for quite some time."

"She?" Negi cocked his head to the side.

"Yes." The door opened when they reached their destination and the both of them walked out. Negi was about to make a left out of instinct since his nocturnal senses were giving him gentle warnings about what awaited him in the right. Chao, however, placed a hand on his shoulder when she saw him going the wrong way and pulled him back saying, "That's the wrong way Negi-chan. This way!" She gestured the other way with an open hand.

"Oh." Was all Negi could say as he allowed himself to be taken the other way. He didn't understand why but something in the back of his mind was telling him that he was going to meet with the cause of this dreadful feeling that was plaguing him. It started when the elevator started it's ascension and it built up as he walked on with Chao down the left corridor. Chao led him across a short bridge that separated the main arena building from the main observation deck that overshadowed the ring.

"Um, just where exactly is this person that you want me to meet Chao-san?" Negi inquired nervously.

"We're almost there Negi." Chao replied, leading him in to the dim room that Dorothy was awaiting them in. The first thing that came to mind as soon as Negi had entered the room was blood. The young fledgling had no idea why but his thirst had suddenly increased ten fold and his fangs were tingling for a drink. His senses sharpened in the dimness of the room and he felt a powerful presen-

"Back so quickly, Lingshen?" A rich feminine voice asked from the other side of the room. Negi flinched at the unexpected words and turned his attention quickly to the Dark Mistress seated across from them. Her twinkling eyes were focused on him, completely unmoving from his position. It did well to send a wave of violent shivers down Negi's spine. "Oh...this must be Negi Springfield. What a handsome young man."

"Um..." Negi felt rigid. "Hello. H-how do you know my name?" It wasn't a very good question since there were plenty of obvious possibilities of how this mysterious woman could have gotten a hold of such information but Negi was simply compelled to ask. Her appearance was slightly concealed by the darkness overshadowing her side of the room bit Negi made out her golden mane of hair. It almost reminded him of his master.

"Lingshen has informed me about you quite a bit. I had the pleasure of watching you during the preliminaries and I must say that you are a young fighter after my own heart." Her manner of speaking was so proper. It reminded him of some of the old Victorian movies he had seen in the past. "Come now young one, don't be shy. You're hurting my feelings by being so cautious around me..." A devious grin crossed her lovely lips before she teased, "I won't bite."

_I've come to grow wary of those words._ Negi inwardly joked as Evangeline came to mind from hearing her words. He approached her a little more until he was finally able to make her out through the darkness, which was really odd because his enhanced sense should have allowed him to see her from much farther regardless of how dark it was. The darkness in the room felt more like it was some sort of veil or barrier. Her features were very attractive and she resembled Evangeline in her older form with the exception of the different eye color. While Evangeline's eyes were emerald green this woman's eyes were...

_Entrancing..._Negi shook his head roughly when that word invaded his mind. What was going on with his head right now? Her piercing gold eyes weren't allowing him to think straight! This intimidating presence before him was no mere woman and he had the feeling that excusing himself from the room wasn't an option he could make of his own free will. He stole a glance over his shoulder at Chao who was still standing beside the door. She had not made a move since they entered.

"May I know your name?" Negi asked.

"Just call me _'friend' _for now." Dorothy replied, beckoning him closer with a hand. The young magi felt as though his legs were given a life of their own as he was compelled by some unseen force to submit to her wishes. When he was within arms reach the dark mistress placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair affectionately. "I'm your biggest fan Mr. Springfield."

"R-really?" Negi massaged the back of his neck with a creeping blush. "I had no idea that I had any fans to begin with..."

"You are much too humble for your own good." Dorothy grinned.

"No..really. I'm not that good of a fighter."

"Nonsense! That is not the sort of attitude I would expect of you!" Negi was startled by her sudden change. Her playful expression turned in to a furious snarl for the breifest of moment before reverting back as quickly as it had changed. "Don't go discouraging me like that Mr. Springfield..." She licked her lips. "Or may I simply call you Negi?"

"I-I guess..." Negi mumbled meekly.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, you may!" Negi corrected quickly.

"Well then, I'll be rooting for you down there." Dorothy finally stood up from her seat, seemingly towering over him in stature and grace. She was sight to behold indeed. She pulled Negi's head against her chest and stroked his head. "However I would have nothing but high expectations from Evangeline's apprentice. You may go off now!" She held him away from her so she could look in to his eyes before finishing, "And don't disappoint me." Negi found himself lost in her eyes once more when they met before an odd sensation coursed through his body. It felt like he was being free of some weight he had not noticed before; a sense of freedom.

"I won't." Negi replied with a grin that mirrored the grin on Dorothy's lips. She sent him off and Chao lead him away. Her eyes followed he young magi until he left the room and she clasped her hands together delightedly.

"The seeds have been planted..." She picked her cloak off from her chair and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Now to see it all unfold."

* * *

Evangeline strolled in to the building with an annoyed expression gracing her features. Just how long was the boya intending to stay with Ku-Fei anyway? She was sure that he would have at least sought her out before his match with Takamichi for some advice. The vampiress scowled at some of the other tournament participants when they murmured amongst themselves at the sight of her walking through the infirmary. She knew that her appearance was deceiving but it wasn't her fault that she was like this! It didn't matter though. In due time she would show those fools why she wasn't one to be taken so lightly.

"Excuse me..." Evangeline got the attention of one of the nurses at the front desk.

"Yes dear?" The nurse asked sweetly, causing the chibi-vampires left eye to twitch in annoyance.

"I would like to know the number of the room that the Chairman is resting in...with her disciple." Those last words had the venom practically dripping off of them. That sweet little embrace that Negi and Ku-Fei were sharing earlier did well to arouse some dark feelings from Evangeline. She kept on clenching and opening her hands as she waited for an answer. It gave rise to the question of whom she was thinking of strangling.

"The second to last door in the west wing dea-"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't address me that way." Evangeline cut her off before taking her leave. "Thanks anyway..." Negi's damn ways were rubbing off on her. Normally she wouldn't have even bothered to say anything. She would have just been on her way as soon as the nurse had begun with the directions. Her hearing was sharp enough to hear her from a building away anyway and that wasn't even concentrating. That of course served to annoy her anyway. "Well then." Evangeline's lips curled in to something simply demented when she reached the room that Ku-Fei was being tended to in.

"Hey Boy...a?" She blinked when she didn't see any sign of Negi around in the room. The Chinese girls looked back at her curiously before offering her an awkward wave. The male nurse that was tending to her arm paid no attention to the vampire, however. He was much more interested in the smoothness of the chairman's legs...the damn pervert. Evangeline did have to admit that Mana left the chairman in a bad condition though but that wasn't her main concern at the present moment regardless. "Where is my disciple?" She asked flat out.

"You mean my disciple?" Ku-Fei mused with a cat like grin. They had this sort of conversation before.

"...Whatever." Evangeline grumbled.

"Chao-san take disciple up stairs with her." She answered.

_Chao Lingshen? What does that girl want with Negi anyway? She of all people should know that the boya has a match coming up soon so why would she want his time fo-_ Evangeline was pulled out of her inner thoughts when she heard the faint "Ding" of the elevator behind her. "Negi?" She felt his aura coming from the elevator car and it was just astounding. It was a complete difference from how it usually was and quite frankly it didn't sit well with her.

"So that's where you've been." The vampiress placed her hands on her hips and glared at her disciple darkly as he walked out with Chao by his side. Evangeline raised an eyebrow when she noticed how in tune both of them were with each other. That definitely wasn't nomal; not at all. There was a definite change in the Chinese scientist as well.

"Oh, hello there master." Negi greeted Evangeline calmly, which was something that he rarely ever did. This was especially so when she was staring him down with one of her patented "_Make Negi Springfield cower in fear_" glares.

"Likewise...boya..." Evangeline responded suspiciously, her eyes wandering over Chao for the briefest of moments. She wasn't one to jump to conclusions very quickly but something was telling her that Chao was somehow a link to her disciple's odd change of heart. "...Lingshen..." She addressed Chao with a slight nod.

"How nice to see you again Eva-san. It's so rare for us to meet like this now these days."

"It's for the best." Evangeline replied as she placed a hand on Negi's shoulder. "Now..."She tightened her grip on his shoulder and pulled him away from Chao's side. "...I'll be taking Negi with me. I'm sure that you know he has a match next."

"That I do." Chao replied with a mischievous grin. "I'll be rooting for you Negi-chan!"

"Um, thanks." said Negi as his master lead him away. Chao waited for Evangeline to shift her gaze away from her before getting in to the waiting elevator. She could tell that Evangeline was suspecting something but that was all and nothing more.

"Now is the moment I've been waiting for." Chao giggled.

"What were you doing up there with her?" Evangeline went straight for the point as she walked beside Negi towards the exit. "And why do you suddenly seem so pumped up? Your aura is pulsing from you like crazy."

"Chao just wanted me to meet an acquaintance of hers." Negi replied without hesitation. "As for why I'm like this, I guess I'm just feeling confident."

"Confident? You're going to be up against Takamichi and you're confident?" Evangeline actually felt the unusual urge to scratch her head. First Negi greets her so calmly and now he's looking forward to the match like it's just some other step in his life, which it was but she was expecting something more along the lines of, "I-I'm just a little nervous! I am going to be fighting Takamichi after all," or at least something else similar.

"Well...yeah." Negi replied with a grin that would have made Evangeline proud if this whole scene didn't just seem so wrong.

"And who was this "Acquaintance" as you see fit to so casually call them?"

"Just a fan of mine." Negi replied, making Evangeline blink.

"...A fan?" She echoed him.

"That's right."

"...He has fans?" She mumbled under her breath.

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

**_Back to the Tournament..._**

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

Sure, she was mad at him. Sure, she would have loved to pummel him within an inch of his life at the moment but she still wanted him to be near! This was her first match and he didn't even have the consideration to be there in her moment of glory! She knew that they had recently gotten in to an argument but she was still his friend and close partner or at least that was what she firmly believed in her mind. They even shared a romantic kiss for crying out loud! So what if he was under the influence of higher power it still had to count somehow.

"Negi..." Takane grumbled under her breath, her eyes cast down upon the floor of the ring. "...Don't you even care about the outcome of this match or do you expect me to fail?" The blonde magistress raised her head to stare back at Tanaka and got in to position to fight. Regardless of whether Negi was watching or not, she was going to be the victor of this fight and when she did meet the young magi in the ring the look of shock on his face would make up for everything. She wasn't about to let herself be defeated by some robot! The smoke all around her from Tanaka's beam cannon started to dissipate and with that Takane struck a pose and pointed at him with a look of determination on her lovely face.

"That's it! Now I'm really mad!" The fact that her jaw was beginning to hurt didn't help much at all...not to mention that she finally realized something horrible about her current state of dress. "Ah..." She simply stood there like a statue as everyone in the audience felt there breaths get caught in their throats. Asuna and the others stared with their mouth gaping and Mei was bordering on losing her sanity.

"O-ONESAN!!!" Mei screamed.

_I-I'm naked...Oh...my...gawd...I'm NAKED!_ Her body finally caught up with her nerve as she covered herself as best she could, which wasn't enough seeing as how her clothes were nothing more than burned shreds. Oddly enough the one thought that had occupied her mind while she was standing there was, _I could be grateful that Negi isn't around to see me in such an embarrassing state. I don't know what I'd do if Negi was..._

"T-takane?!" Negi's voice suddenly cried out.

"He called me by my first name agai-" Takane's mind shut down when it finally hit her a second later. He decided to show up now of all times?! Why couldn't he have not shown up at all?! "No...Negi's seen me...looking like a fool..." She felt tears stinging her eyes as a look of complete fury twisted her face. She felt something dark welling up inside her and before she could process anything else, Tanaka was launched in to orbit with one of her Shadow punches. "WHY YOU!!!" Takane screamed at the top of her lungs. The whole crowd was quiet for a moment as they waited for Tanaka to come back down but it didn't seem like it was going to happen any time soon so...

**_"What a hit by Challenger Takane! Here's your winner!"_** Kazumi grabbed the blonde magistress' hand and raised it in the air, putting her in an uncompromising position.

"L-let go of me!" Takane cried out in shame. She snatched her arm away and wrapped herself tightly before running away in a blur all the while crying out, "Now I'll never be a bride!!!" Moments later Tanaka hit the water causing Kazumi to jump back in surprise.

**_"Well...that was unexpected but...The crowd in this pavilion seems unduly excited! Now what could be coming up next?!"_** The photographer teased as the crowd went wild with the disappearance of Takane. **_"It's the one you've been waiting for! Child teacher Negi Springfield in match No.6!"_**

"That's you boya." Evangeline told Negi, tapping his shoulder to get his attention since he seemed to be transfixed on the exit that Takane had taken to make her quick leave.

"It looks like I'm up." Negi nodded.

"You seem to be taking this pretty well, unusually enough." She quipped.

"I guess seeing Master Ku fight has given me some confidence."

"Whatever you say..." Evangeline rolled her eyes.

**_"He'll be facing Takamichi, a.k.a, Death Specs!"_** The crowd went even wilder, however...**_"After the maintenace club is done making repairs to the ring!"_** That made all of their excitement fizzle away. Evangeline, seeing that the repairs would buy her some more time decided to keep Negi around a little longer but she swiveled her eyes to the left when she felt Takamichi's presence. The older magi had his hands in his pockets with the ever-present cigarette hanging from his lips. Asuna, Setsuna, Kotaro and Konoka were behind him. Mei must have gone after Takane when she ran off.

"Morning Negi." Takamichi greeted the young magi.

"Oh, Takamichi." Negi turned to him. His tone of voice sounded seemed as though he was a little unsure of his own words.

"You seem quite different now than from before." Takamichi observed eliciting a knowing nod from Evangeline who felt a change as well. "I'm glad though. Now I'll finally be able to see just how far you've come since that time. Then again..." A mellow grin appeared on his face, "How can I expect any different when Eva-san is your master?" Asuna and Setsuna were surprised to see that Negi had not even flinched in the older magi's presence. He would usually be uptight, being engaged in conversation with him.

"Takamichi..." Negi started, staring him in the eyes unblinkingly. "I intend to go all out today. I want to do my father proud and prove myself."

Evangeline raised an eyebrow with a grin. On the other hand maybe she did like this sudden change in him a little.

"And for that reason," Negi continued. "I don't want you to hold back." His bold choise of words added him another point on Evangeline's side. Kotaro smirked at his words as well.

_Now those are the words I want to hear from you._ Kotaro offered him a thumbs up from behind Takamichi before tensing up at Asuna's dark glare. The red-head sent a glare at Negi as well for talking to Takamichi that way but it didn't seem to faze him the least bit. _Negi? What exactly is your deal?_ Asuna crossed her arms in perturbation.

"Heh, heh." Takamichi chuckled light heartedly. "You needn't be so serious Negi. You're you and Nagi is Nagi. Besides, I do think I'll hold back just a little. We wouldn't want to give away our true nature now would we?"

"I suppose not..." Negi replied.

"U-Um, Takahata-sensei?" Asuna called his attention with a bow. "You knew the "Thousand Master"?" Her question made Evangeline roll her eyes. Who in the magic world didn't know Nagi? A light blush crept up on her as she thought about his charming smirk before she shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. Ironically, Nagi didn't even have to be around to get such a rare reaction out of the vampiress.

"Sure I do." Takamichi answered Asuna.

"S-so does that mean that you're...a mage as well?"

"Um..." Takamichi ran one of his hands through his spiked hair. "You're right Asuna. I guess I should've told you earlier but with all that happened with Konoka-kun before it just didn't seem like the right time." Takamichi grinned, "I don't recall but just how long were you aware of magic anyway?"

"Since Negi arrived..." Asuna replied.

"OH?" The older sensei blinked. "Well then...ha,ha..." He reverted back to his serious self. "I figured it might have been early but perhaps we should have a talk later Asuna-kun." He turned his head to the ring where the repair team was almost finished. "Now is not the time."

"I...understand." Asuna said calmly.

**_"The stage repairs are complete! Challengers, please report to the stage area!"_** Kazumi's booming voice got both, Negi and Takamichi's attention. Asuna, and Konoka tensed up while Setsuna and Kotaro felt some excitement. This was the fight they had been waiting for since the match ups were announced at the end of the preliminaries. An evil grin made it's way across Evangeline's lips.

"I'll meet you over there Negi." Takamichi told him with a wink as he made his leave from the group.

"Well, here goes the moment you've been dreading." Kotaro teased his friend with a grin. "You better not lose here Negi or we won't be able to face each other."

"Don't worry." Negi replied.

"Don't we seem confident?" Evangeline cooed gently in his ear. "That's something I wouldn't expect from you boya. I wonder what has caused you to change so much...regardless of that, remember whether you lose or not or simply drop out, you still owe me an all day date." Her words managed to break through to Negi for the slightest moment.

"Y-yes master!" His usual attitude suddenly reverted to its normal state making Evangeline cock her head slightly in curiosity.

"So what do you figure are your chances?" Setsuna asked.

"I-I'll do my best!" Negi replied eliciting a puzzled response from the girls. Moments ago he acted as though Takamichi wasn't much of a problem but now it just didn't make any sense to them anymore.

"Okay..." Setsuna's mind paused for a moment so she turned to Asuna. "Well, Asuna?"

"Huh?!" Asuna snapped out of her daze.

"Forget about her." Evangeline veered Negi's attention away from the red-head. "The Gap between his skills and yours is undeniable but go and hit him with everything you've got!"

_Indeed..._ The voice that popped in Negi's head made him blink for a moment but he turned his attention to the vampiress when she leaned over to him.

"And remember that you're representing me out there." Evangeline finished.

"Yes, Eva." Negi nodded.

"Kill em' dead master Negi!" Chachazero encouraged from Setsuna's shoulder.

"Protect your chin!" Kotaro advised.

"Um, sure." Negi turned to leave.

"Good luck!" Konoka cried out.

"Gap or not, land the first blow and you'll read the flow just fine!" Setsuna shouted to him. All of these words of advice were really beginning to irritate him.

_Wait...irritate me? Shouldn't I be happy that they want to help me? _Negi was beginning to feel disturbed by these odd thoughts that were suddenly corrupting his mind. He shook it off and continued walking before hearing Asuna call his name at the top of her lungs.

"Yes?" Negi turned to face her; her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue.

"Um..." She sounded a bit hesitant but she offered him a thumbs up for good luck. "G-go for it!"

"Kay!" Negi replied with a grin. He finally walked on without any more interruptions and Mei re-entered the ring side with Takane. The blonde magistress was wrapped in her black cloak from earlier with her head still bowed in embarassment.

"O-onesan!" Mei saw Negi walking to the ring and her heart fluttered with excitement. She managed to get Takane's attention just barely. "It's Negi-sensei's turn!"

Takane raised her head slightly to get a glimpse of the young magi before letting it fall again. "J-just leave me be, Mei." She mumbled.

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Negi Springfield Vs. Takamichi Takahata_**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"In this corner!"_** Kazumi pointed to Takamichi, who walked gracefully on to the ring with the wind blowing his white jacket behind him like a majestic cloak. **_" The man who inspires fear in the heart of every delinquent who crosses his path, guidance counselor Takamichi Takahata!"_**

"Ha, Ha. This crowd is larger than before." Takamichi laughed as he stole a glance at Negi. The young magi didn't seem to be focused on anything other than what was in front of him. The crowd was wild for the older sensei but Negi didn't seem to be affected by anything right now. It was as though he slipped in to some other world.

**_"And in this corner!" _**Kazumi pointed towards Negi and all of the young women in the audience was easliy overtaken by his cute appearance from afar. **_"The child teacher who started here last year, the infamous Negi Springfield!"_**

_"Infamous already is he?"_ Dorothy chuckled, watching the scene unfold from the top observation deck with Chao. The dark Mistresses eyes burned as she worked her charms on the young magi and Negi's eyes flickered for a moment below on the ring. _"Allow me to show you what is freedom my precious darkling. This is my first gift to you!"_

"Mistress Dorothy?" Chao questioned, her voice wavering only slightly. Even now the Dark Mistress looked terrifying with the devious look in her eyes. she couldn't help but feel a cold shiver run down her spine. "What have you done to Negi-chan?"

_"Something that Evangel has yet to do."_

"Boya?" Evangeline crossed her arms as she watched from the ringside. She sensed something happening with Negi and it wasn't pleasant. She looked to Takamichi, noticing that he was sensing something as well and yet the slightest of smirks danced across her lips. "...No mercy..."

**_"FIGHT!"_**

"Well then Negi..." Takamichi dug his hands in to his pockets and positioned his feet. "...though I sense something more..." The older sensei blinked and to his surprise Negi was no longer standing across from him. He felt as though a dark cloud had enveloped the entire ring. Negi's dark aura was coming from all directions! "Hu-" Takamichi's eyes sharpened when Negi finally appeared right beside him in mid-air. The young magi had his left leg rushing forward with a kick but Takamichi ducked under and sent a quick shot at him. Negi recoiled from the hit and Takamichi went on with a few more shots.

_Don't underestimate him..._

Evangeline's words to him echoed in his mind for a split second just as Negi fazed out of existence before his punches could reach him. He turned around to see Negi coming from behind him with another kick and did the only thing he felt he could at that very moment. He grabbed a hold of Negi's incoming kick and brought him down to the ground. "Hmph!" This wasn't at all what he expected. To have to actually grab Negi was something he thought he would be able to avoid. He thought he had Negi pinned but the boy disappeared as soon as he hit the floor along with him.

"An after image?!" Was all Takamichi could say before he felt a sharp pain cut through his body. Negi came crashing down on top of him with both legs and jumped off with just as much force, leaving the floorboards under Takamichi in splinters.

"Takahata sensei?!" Asuna gasped.

"Is this really Negi?!" Kotaro was hanging over the safety rails with a look of sheer amazement on his face. "This is unreal!"

"It is hard to believe isn't it?" Setsuna remarked. "This fighting style isn't like him." _It's almost like the time he was being possessed by the world tree. His movements are so...ethereal._ Her eyes swiveled over to Evangeline. _Almost similar to Eva-san._

Takamichi got back to his feet and sent two shots from his fist in to the blur that was coming straight for him. He grunted with satisfaction when Negi slowed down from both shots just enough for him to get a clear shot at him. Takamichi executed a shundo and rushed forward at a blinding speed, using Negi's speed against him by connecting a clean shot to the stomach! Negi was sent spinning from the shot to the abdomen and crashed to the ring hard but he pushed off the floor with his hands and landed back on his feet just as fast before kicking on his feet to send himself flying back towards Takamichi with his elbow reared back for a strike to the cranium.

"Fast." Evangeline quipped just as Negi sent the older sensei crashing to the floor once again. The fledgling jumped back from his opponent's fallen body and prepared an unincanted dark spell but it was negated when a powerful force crashed in to his body. "Gah..." Slivers of saliva flowed out of Negi's mouth as the air was knocked out of him. Takamichi followed up with a combo that sent Negi flying even farther in to the air before slamming both of his hands together with a resounding clap. The floor beneath Negi was shattered even before the ray of energy crashed down upon him in a blinding white light!

**_"Whoa! What was that?!" _**Kazumi stepped away from the ring with Sayo hiding behind her back. **_"Huh?!"_** The photographer was confused when Takamichi suddenly doubled up as though the air was stolen from him. There was a quick flash of Negi's image bringing down both of his fist upon the older magi's back before Negi was suddenly knocked back in to the air by some invisible force! It was all so confusing for the audience as Takamichi disappeared from his position on the floor before appearing without warning above Negi with his hands in his pockets.

_This isn't just Negi I'm up against._ Takamichi thought wildly, his eyes glancing up towards the observatory deck for a moment but the tinted glass wouldn't allow him to get a good view of the inside.

_"Kyohochu Ken!" _Takamichi heard Negi's voice suddenly cry out. It appeared that the vampire had recovered quickly from his attack earlier and prepared an attack of his own while he was preoccupied with the observatory deck. Energy surged from Negi's right arm and seared in to Takamichi, ripping open his dress shirt in the process. The fan girls below cried out in appreciation at the sight of his toned abs...and the boys cried.

"Negi!" Takamichi yelled. "Snap out of it!" When Negi didn't seem to respond to his words he snatched his hands away from his pockets and engaged Negi in a flurry of punches that the young magi blocked and returned with just as much fervor. The mid-air show was ended when Takamichi went in for a desperation move. The sky twinkled with energy as Takamichi gatthered "Chi" in one hand and "Magic" in the other.

"This is a small tip from me Negi." Takamichi grinned. "If you can still hear me in there!"

"He's going to do it!" Evangeline felt a bead of sweat run down the side of her head.

"What?!" Asuna asked. "Who?!" She demanded but Evangeline offered her no response. Up in the air, Negi's eyes widened in horror for a moment as his sub-conscious screamed for him to get out of the way.

"You'll want to avoid this!" Takamichi did a mid-air shundo to get out the way, leaving Negi to stare at the white hot pillar of searing heat that came down in his direction. Once again, Negi's eyes flickered with the color of Dorothy's golden orbs and he sent himself flying in Takamichi direction.

"A mid-air shundo?!" Kotaro cried out in disbelief.

"No." Setsuna observed with her sharp eyes. "That was pure speed and will power right ther-" She was cut off from the explosion that touched down seconds later. When the light cleared there was a large crater in the middle of the ring, however, since it was a concentrated shot the entire stage wasn't in shambles. The audience all cheered at what some believed was simply a well-executed parlor trick.

"They're oblivious." Evangeline mumbled. Her hair was whipped to the side when a sudden rush of wind passed through in front of her. Her sharp eyes caught Takamichi and Negi trading blow for blow as they kept up with each other until Takamichi executed another shundo to send himself meeting Negi at the rails awaiting them on the other side. Negi was sent flying to the ring when Takamichi kicked him back. The young magi managed to get to his feet in a fighting stance but he was sent staggering back again when Takamichi struck him with a few "Iai-Ken" blows from afar.

"Come on." Takamichi called him forward when Negi regained his footing. "I won't underestimate you twice." Just as he was done speaking, Negi charged forward and became nearly invisible with the speed that he picked up. All of Takamichi's blows bounced off of him and he kicked the older sensei in the gut but Takamichi stood his ground and caught Negi with a solid uppercut. Just as Negi was sent upwards he reached out with his right hand to grab Takamichi by his tie and used the momentum from the blow to swing him over his head in an elaborate flip before throwing him in to the unforgiving wall on the other side. Asuna gasped when Takamichi crashed in to the wall and fell to his knees.

"Well done boya." Evangeline grinned.

"What's this about?!" Asuna growled.

"I'm just siding with my disciple." Evangeline retorted. "Mind your business." Both girls didn't go any further with the argument when Negi whizzed by again with both hands crackling in preparation to strike Takamichi before he could recover. Takamichi was quicker, however, kicking forward on his left foot and connecting a kick to Negi's face. The audience gasped at the sound of the older sensei foot connecting with Negi's skull but they were on the edge of their seat when the young magi managed to hit Takamichi in the midsection with an elbow thrust. He dodged a punch from Takamichi and countered with a palm shot that was blocked by the older sensei when he gripped Negi's wrist and veered the attack to the side.

Both fighters were engaged in close combat for a while, as it seemed to twist and turn in to a dance. Takamichi finally decided to hit Negi with a point blank Iai-ken strike but Negi dodged to the side and kicked on his foot to subdue the older sensei with a knee to the body.

"No!" Negi's eyes went wide with surprise when he realized that he had struck an after image. He looked up just in time to see Takamichi unleashing another one of his devastating Super Iai-ken barrages. He threw himself to the side to avoid being smashed by the heavy force of energy only to be crushed by another that was waiting for him as he rolled aside. Negi pulled himself out of the small crater wearily only to feel himself get lifted up by the collar of his shirt.

**_"Whoa, what a battle this has been so far folks!" _**Kazumi spoke, using the safety rails to keep herself standing up. Her legs felt like they were about to give out at any moment. **_"To think that this match would hold more surprises than the match between the Chairman and Tatsumiya! It's unbelievable! The ring seems more like a battlefield than a stage fit for a tournament! Could this really be the end?!"_**

"Negi..." Takamichi called to the young man, dangling from his hand. "I know that you can hear me. I'm not sure what it is that is influencing your actions now but you have to overcome it! What would your father say if he saw you right now?!" He grinned slightly when Negi furrowed his brows tightly. "There we go. Fight it!"

"What's going on?" Asuna asked, trying to steady her heartbeat. "What is Takahata-sensei doing?"

"Trying to bring the boya to reality." Evangeline replied. "Something has been disturbing him since the beginning of this match." Her eyes swiveled over to the red-head. "I'm sure you must have noticed the slight change in the boya as we were talking to him before the match."

_Stop stalling and strike! _Negi heard a voice in his head cry out. _If you want to face your master then you must not hold back. She won't do the same for you!_ Negi nodded at the reasoning that the voice held and his suddenly eyes snapped open. Takamichi inwardly scowled when he realized that he might have failed. The influence on Negi was much stronger than he believed it to be. _This man before you doesn't see you as an individual! Don't you realize that you are merely a shadow of your father in his eyes! Now fight! Claim your own path and go down as a legend!_

"Evangeline..." Takamichi turned to face the vampiress, watching from ringside intensely. "...It's in your hands now."

Evangeline nodded as though she heard his words and Takamichi turned his attention back to Negi just before he felt the young magi's fist explode in his stomach! He let go of Negi and allowed himself to fall backwards but before he could even make contact with the floor, Negi came down on him with another charged strike.

"Well done!" Takamichi cried out before everything went white. There was one final explosion and floorboards from the ring went flying in to the air from the impact. The challengers at ringside with the exception of Evangeline, Kotaro and Setsuna backed away to a safe distance to keep clear of the falling debris.

**_"Did you see that?! Did challenger Negi's "Hissatsu-waza" ultimate techinique just light up the heavens or what?! He even managed to knock his opponent flat on his back with a powerful blow! What an upset for the fans!"_ **Kazumi finally worked up the nerve to enter the ring again and stood beside Negi and Takamichi's fallen form. The feeling she got from the young magi as he stood with his back facing her was chilling and that fact that he was bleeding didn't make things any better. **_"Challenger Negi is a mess!" _**She squinted as she waved at the smoke surrounding the ring to get a better look at Takamichi. **_"I-is he dead? I-I mean...let's start the count!"_**

"T-takahata-sensei?!" Asuna suddenly started to feel quite faint. Konoka had to run up behind her and lend her some support. "N-Negi..." She bowed her head and clenched her hands in to trembling fists. "Y-you're terrible!" Her words somehow managed to carry on through to the ring and snap Negi out of his trance.

"H-huh?!" Negi whipped around to face Asuna and the others. "A-asuna-san?"

"I hope you heard me!" Asuna screamed but she flinched when Takamichi started to move. Negi couldn't help but do the same when the older sensei slowly sat up and regarded him.

"T-takamichi...y-you're amazing!" Negi was at a loss for words.

"I'm glad to see...that you're back." Takamichi muttered with a grin. "For a second there I thought I would've lost you forever."

"What do you mean?" Negi asked.

"...I see..." Takamichi said grimly. Negi's subconscious must have been merged with whoever was controlling his thoughts. Naturally it would have felt like a trance for the young magi so he wouldn't have noticed a difference. "This makes things complicated." Takamichi frowned. "Well then, considering I was going all out against someone at least twenty years younger than me I'd say you put up quite fight."

"C-can you still fight then?" Negi asked nervously.

"...Nah." Takamichi grinned before falling on to his back. "You win."

**_"The child teacher wins!" _**Kazumi raised his arm in the air and cringed when Negi winced. "You alright Negi-kun?" She whispered away from the mic in her hand.

"Um-" Negi winced again at the sudden pain in his side. "I'll manage."

**_"The ten- year- old child teacher moves on to the second round!"_** The crowd went wild at her words despite the out come of the match. This was truly a shock to those who were loyal to the legendary "Death Specs". These included Asuna who was having a very hard problem deciding whether she should pummel Negi in to oblivion for leaving her Takamichi in such a beaten condition or cheer him on for his victory. It was all so confusing for her!

"NEGI!"

"Huh?!" Negi felt a sharp stab of pain when Kotaro punched his shoulder.

"Ha,ha! You really did it man!" Kotaro looked like the happiest man alive despite the pain he was inflicting on his friend with all of his excitement.

"Master Negi!" Chachazero waved at him from Setsuna's shoulder as the swordsman approached him with Konoka and Asuna following behind her. His eyes searched for Evangeline and he saw her waiting for him at ringside with a smirk on her face. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing at the moment but he was going to find out soon. "Master!" Negi turned his attention back to Chachazero when he heard her call him again and took her in to his arms.

"So what did you think Chacha-chan?" Negi winked at her.

"I can't wait for you to fight Eva-san!" the sadistic puppet replied, causing him to go pale for a second. _If you want to face your master than you must not hold back! She won't do the same for you!_

"Hey Negi! You alright?" Kotaro's words pulled him out of his daze.

"U-um, yeah." Negi replied, shaking his head.

"You looked as though you were in some daze." Setsuna commented.

"It must be from the fight!" Negi assured her quickly. "There's nothing wrong!"

"Disciple!" Negi turned his attention to the source of the voice and saw Ku-Fei walking in to the ring with Kaede. The chairman had a cast over her arm but other than that she seemed to be fine. "Negi-bozu, you do so good!" She finally reached him with a proud smile on her face. Kaede placed a hand on his shoulder and offered him a smile as well.

"It's amazing how far you've made it since then." The ninja praised. "I'm looking forward to training with you in the mountains again."

"Heh...really?!" Negi felt himself blushing as he looked over all of the girls shoulders. The look on Evangeline's face was slowly twisting in to that of impatience and that sure wasn't a good sign. The fact that Ku-Fei was up there congratulating him didn't help matters any but more importantly he feared what Asuna's reaction would be. She seemed pretty quiet behind Setsuna since Takamichi...wait...

"Takamichi?" Negi realized the the older sensei was no longer with them. He must have simply gotten up and took a walk. "...He's so mysterious sometimes..." Negi mumbled. Setsuna nudged Asuna when she saw Negi turn away from them and the red-head suddenly came to life as though she was pulled out of her own little world.

"Well?" Setsuna regarded her expectantly.

"Er..." Asuna blinked a few times. "Negi."

"Um, o-oh, Asuna-san." Negi said her name awkwardly. They stared at each other silently for a while until Asuna raised her hand over her head. "Eh-URGH?!" Negi squeezed his right shoulder painfully when Asuna smacked it hard.

"Stupid!" Asuna grabbed him by the shirt and leaned over fiercely. "Look at the condition you're in, always trying to push yourself! Not to mention you got Takahata sensei all beat up too!" Negi blinked back a few times when spit started to spray out of her mouth. "If this wasn't a tournament I'd never forgive you!" She panted as she tried to catch her breath and sighed. She studied the bruises on his face and her expression softened gently. "N-now...get yourself checked out at the infirmary before you get infected or something."

"Asuna-san." Negi couldn't help but smile a little. Despite what anybody said it felt good to have someone worry...now; Negi looked at Evangeline one last time and cringed when he saw the dead panned look on her face. Maybe he kept her waiting a little too long?

"Hey Negi..." Kazumi managed to get beside him in the crowd of friends. "You mind leaving the ring now?"

"Oh, yeah...sorry about that." Negi chuckled. He left the ring with Asuna and the others following him until Evangeline pulled him to the side with her and had him walk the rest of the way with her. The audience crowded the path to the infirmary as they tried to get Negi's autograph and some of the girls squealed at the sight of Negi and Evangeline together. This did nothing short of causing a vein to pop out on the chibi-vampire's forehead.

**_"Oh, don't they look so cute together?!"_**

**_"Aren't they just adorable?!"_**

**_"Hey, chill! Those two are dangerous!"_**

**_"They won't last!"_**

**_"...Kill the pessimist!"_**

"Move along already!" Evangeline pulled Negi so that he would keep up with her.

"B-but my arm!" Negi hissed at the pain.

"Stop whining!" Evangeline snapped at him. When they were inside the infirmary she lead him to a bench where they would be alone and sat down. Negi regarded her for a moment as she looked up at him from her seat until she pat the spot beside her. "Are you just going to look at me?"

"Oh, um sorry." Negi took the spot beside her and looked out in to the distance to sort his thoughts.

"So you seem normal again." Evangeline said off handedly.

"Normal?" Negi raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Evangeline scratched her chin and crossed her legs. "There's a force at work here. I'm not sure what it is but it's causing another side of you to rise out. Not only that but your vampiric abilities are being unlocked at a startling rate whenever you fight."

"Another side? You know..."

"What's wrong?" Evangeline asked when he paused.

"Um...nothing." Negi didn't go any further. "So did you see how I managed to beat Takamichi?!" Negi was suddenly a giddy as a ten-year-old again.

"You think you beat Takamichi?" Evangeline asked skeptically.

"Well, yeah-"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Evangeline smacked him across the head. "He might has well had placed a bow on his damn head! He allowed you to win that match because he was satisfied with what you showed him, not to mention that it was getting a little out of hand!" Evangeline stood up from her seat and towered over him with her hands on her hips. "Did you see the condition of the ring?!"

"Y-yeah..." Negi cowered a little.

"I'll be honest with you..." Evangeline ran a hand down her face. "I never expected you to fight the way you did earlier. For a moment I actually thought you were trying to put a smile on my face with the way you were just lashing out move after move. You had Takamichi on his toes but believe me, if he wanted to he could have obliterated you." She poked his chest roughly. "Don't get cocky!"

"I-I won't."

"So how did it feel?" She suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How did it feel to fight with the abilities you have now?"

"I felt..." Negi looked for the right word to use. "...Free."

"Really?" A smile crossed her lips. "That's what I wanna hear. Now let's see if you can even manage to amuse me when we get in the ring together. I'm really looking forward to it."

"E-eva-"

**_-...Smooch...-_**

"Um..." Negi placed a hand on his cheek as he watched Evangeline walk away. "What just...happened?"

* * *

"Negi seemed to be a little hesitant in his actions down there." Chao frowned, looking down at the stage below as the maintenance team went to work on it. "What seemed to be the problem, Mistress?" she asked, turning her attention to Dorothy who had been nursing a glass of wine since the end of the match.

"Negi was somehow resisting me." Dorothy replied. "It must have had something to do with the man he was fighting."

"You mean Takamichi?"

"Is that his name?"

"Yes."

"Well, no matter." Dorothy took a sip from her glass. "This was simply a little test. Negi will do much better when he faces Evangel." She focused on the wine in the glass until she could swear Evangeline's reflection was staring back at her. "I've already planted the seeds. Now all I must do is watch him rise above his master."

"What are you planning Mistress?" Chao asked suspiciously.

"You will see soon."

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Interlude..._**

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

There was something about stepping in to a restaurant and being stared at by the occupants that could make a person feel unwelcome. This feeling did not go unnoticed by Negi as what happened to him was just that. He assumed that it was his state of dress that captured the attention of everyone eating. It wasn't everyday that someone walked in to a restaurant with a large staff fastened to their back and an odd looking puppet sitting on their shoulder. The young magi didn't really seem to mind the attention as much, however, when the aroma of the food being cooked in the kitchen reached his nostrils. The wonderful smell had his mouth watering in no time at all.

"Just like Chao..." Negi said softly, comparing the aroma to the one that could usually be scented around Chao's mobile restaurant.

"Um, sir?" the young woman at the reservation desk called his attention.

"Yes?" Negi asked.

"We have a coat check." She approached him, her eyes wandering over the features of his face dreamily. "Would you like us to relieve you of your staff and jacket until you're done eating?"

"Well..." Negi had to think about that. He really had a problem with parting with his staff. It was the last thing he had from his father besides the scar on his cheek. "Is it alright if you just took my jacket? This staff really means a lot to me."

"I guess." The young lady answered. "Oh, what a cute doll. Is it a gift?"

"From my little sister." Negi answered, as he took Chachazero in one arm before pulling from the sleeve of his jacket wit his other hand. When he managed to get his jacket off he handed it to the young woman and she took it to the room behind her desk. Moments later she came out and handed him a ticket before asking, "Are you the only one eating?"

"Yes." Negi replied, sitting Chachazero on his shoulder again. The girl regarded Chachazero for a moment when she noticed how well balanced the sadistic puppet was on his shoulder but her eyes didn't linger too long.

"Follow me." She lead him to a table in the corner near the window and he took a seat. "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"Iced tea would do me just fine." Negi answered.

"Sweetened or unsweetened?"

"Sweetened please."

"Alright then." She nodded before turning to leave but Negi called her attention again. "Yes sir?"

"What is the name of the owner of this restaurant?" His question made the girl sigh.

_How typical! I knew this guy didn't just come here for the food. They never come around here just for the food! _She thought with a low growl. She actually thought he was pretty cute. Why did he have to be here for Ms. Chao?! "Her name is Ms. Chao." She answered.

"I meant her first name." Negi specified with a gentle smile to make the girl feel comfortable.

"Xue." She answered dully.

"I-I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?" Negi asked nervously.

"No." she answered with a sigh. "I'll be back with your drink."

"Thanks." Negi smiled. When the young woman was away he sighed and bowed his head slightly as he leaned against his staff. "I am so nervous right now."

"Why?" Chachazero asked. "You don't think McVicar will track you down here do ya?" She felt her master shiver when she said that name. Apparently he still had not gotten over his meeting with the Dark Mistress. "Sorry bout that." She apologized with a giggle.

"I almost forgot about her." Negi groaned. "Thank you for reminding me." He quipped sarcastically. "What I'm really worried about is Ms. Lingshen."

_You and my mother were very close Negi-chan. Everytime she spoke to me about you she always had this dreamy look in her eyes. Kind of like you were her prince charmi-_

"That was the most awkward conversation I had with Chao-san." Negi massaged the back of his neck as he pushed the Chinese girl's words in the back of his mind. From what she told him this woman was going to be making a big impact on his life or rather he was going to be making a big impact on "HER" life. "What a second...Chao never specified who she was in my bloodline..."

"What are you getting at, Master Negi? You don't think that she's your-"

"N-no! Of course not!" Negi cut her off causing the children sitting in the table in front of him to glance back at him like he was some crazy person. Negi cracked a grin to make them look away and sighed again. His heart felt as though it was going to burst forth from his chest at the tempo it was beating at. "Maybe I should have informed Eva-chan?"

"Eva-san would never let you hear the end of it if she found out that you were mending bonds while you were away from Maharo, master." Chachazero told him. "Oh, here comes the waitress." The doll allowed herself to flop lifelessly against him again.

"Here you are sir." The young woman said as she set his glass down on the table. "Ms. Linghshen will be with you shortly."

"Um, excuse me?" Negi tensed.

"She's going to be here to take your order personally."

"W-why?"

"I told her that you asked for her."She answered before taking her leave. "Ciao!" Negi's jaw dropped as the waitress walked away. Why did she do this to him?! He didn't ask to meet her! All he wanted to know was her name...but then again, why did he come here in the first place?

"I confuse myself sometimes." Negi muttered.

"Do you think she's cute?" Chachazero teased.

"I don't know...that really isn't important."

"So you go for personalities, huh?"

"Ch-chacha-chan!" Negi blushed.

"I just like to see master flustered." Chachazero chirped playfully. Negi buried his head in to his arms for a moment but the sound of someone clearing their throat got his attention. When he turned his attention to the source of the sound he felt his throat close up. Xue Lingshen stood before him dressed in the same style of clothes that Chao would usually be seen wearing. Her hair was done in buns on the side of her head and her face was simply flawless down to her delicate chin. Her resemblance to Chao was eerily uncanny. He'd never seen a woman so elegant and yet the grin on her face gave her a child like impression. It was no wonder to the young magi why most of the men who ate here came just to get a glimpse of her.

"Hello there." She greeted him cheerfully. "Welcome to my restaurant! One of my waitresses told me that you already know my name so what's yours?"

"N...Negi Springfield." He answered, causing her to blink for a moment.

"Well..." Xue smirked. "That's a very nice name."

"Thank you."

"Do you know the meaning of your name?" She suddenly asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"...Um..."

"I guess not." She smiled. "Well I'm guessing the name "Negi" has a relation to the name "Nagi" which means, safe. As for "Springfield" I know that "Spring" means to burst forth where as there is a relation to name "Shprintza" which is yiddish meaning, hope." After she was done with her explanation she giggled at the expression on Negi's face.

"V-very informative." Negi praised. "That was amazing!" He felt a little unnerved when she related his first name to his father's name but other than that he just learned something today. This woman was seriously Chao's mother. There was no doubt in his mind about that. He stared back in to her eyes for a moment and something in the back of his mind was telling him that she was waiting for him to ask her a question. "So what does your name mean?"

"Snow." She answered, eyeing his staff. "That's an odd looking staff you have there."

"Oh this?" Negi patted it. "Um, I use it to go traveling."

"Interesting." she took a seat across from him on the table causing him to feel very nervous. This was beginning to go a little further than he expected. Perhaps he simply just couldn't avoid fate. "You really stand out from most of the other people that come around here."

"Do I?" Negi felt like there was a bit of Deja Vu going on her.

"Yeah...I can tell that you're very different from everyone else around here. There's something about you that sets you apart." Xue leaned over as she rested her chin on both of her hands. Her eyes were deep pools of hazelnut that were mesmerizing. "And quite frankly that isn't a good thing in your case."

"Um..what?" Negi saw her right hand slip under the table and a moment later he felt something sharp against his leg. "X-xue-san?!"

"Shhhh..." She shushed him. "Keep your voice down Mr. Springfield. Tell me why you're spying on me for."

"What? I don't understand."

"Don't play coy with me!" She smirked. "The magic guild sent you to investigate and spy on me didn't they? I've been having problems with them ever since I started the Cassiopeia zero project..." Her eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "What do you guys want with my invention?"

_Cassiopeia?! She invented the time machine?! _Negi felt a bead of sweat trail down his forehead. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Heh...we'll see." Xue chuckled. "Stand up and come with me."

"Where are you taking me?" Negi whimpered.

"You aren't in the position to be asking any questions Mr. Springfield and don't try any of your magic. I've had too many confrontations already so I've set up a nullifications system."

"Huh?" Negi felt a doom feeling.

_You and my mother were very close Negi-chan..._

"I hope you're right Chao-san." Negi moaned.

**_To be continued..._**

* * *

_It's been a long time... _

_Whoa...I seriously need to get my head in to the game again! With my abdomen muscle healed I'm back in training so my schedule has been hectic again! I hardly have any time to myself anymore and brainstorming for FVA has become rather difficult...ahem...but I won't let this story die!_

_...I'll try to get it done...one way or another! Anyway, I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't as filling as the others. Writing scenes for the matches is surprisingly mind draining so I'm thinking of just releasing a chapter for each match to get things running easier. Something like:_

_Chapter Nineteen: Negi Vs. Takane_

_and_

_Chapter Twenty: Negi Vs. Evangeline_

_...you get the idea. Then again maybe that's not good...er...I'll decided sooner or later. As for these little interludes, most of you are right in assuming that they're glimpses in to the future but I like to leave things a little ambiguous to get the mind working, heh, so sue me. I'll be introducing some characters that will be making an impact on Negi's future. Take Xue Chao for example! She is Negi's connection to Chao Lingshen. Of course since this is FVA it must all start with a bite right? Well, I'm not telling. And what about Dorothy and Lucinda? Their back-stories are twisted and I'll eventually get to them after I introduce the next Dark Mistress..._

_Until next time,_

**_Traingham..._**

**_P.S: _**_So, Evangeline pecked Negi on the cheek...unexpected? Well, don't expect sunshine and roses to suddenly blossom...  
_


	19. Leading to this moment

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters…

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Nineteen: Midian Trials_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

The forest was filled with the ominous roar of a motorcycle accompanied by the occasional report of a gunshot from a heavy caliber gun. Any expert would be able to tell that the type of shells that were being used were of a burst type which would immediately be related to a shotgun. The birds that were nestled in their trees all scattered at the sound of every shot as the roar of the motorcycle corrupted the calm silence of darkness. Negi was getting the brunt of all the commotion, however, as he pumped his legs for all they were worth. His training with Evangeline made him a very fast foe but his opponent was utilizing a well-customized bike that allowed them to catch up. Surely one mistake on such a fast vehicle would mean the end for the person riding it. 

"Run all you can scum!" Katherine cried out as she took aim for Negi again with her gun. She took the shot but Negi phased out of existence for a moment to avoid being hit and continued his run. This vampire hunter was quite the strategist. She chased him in to a very dense forest where he wouldn't be able to take off easily. "You won't escape from me!"

"Why are you doing this?!" Negi cried out.

"Because you're a plague to the world! All of you are!" She answered venomously. "The Vatican is just ensuring the safety of their little world but what happens to the other towns and cities when you filthy lot decide to creep in, huh?! That's why there are people like me out here!" She took aim once more and pulled the trigger only to hear a metallic click telling her that it was time to reload. "Scheisse! Hurensohn!" She grinded her teeth angrily, holding on to the steering controls with for her motorcycle with one hand as she reached for some more ammunition with the other.

"I don't know what she said but she stopped shooting!" Negi said in relief.

"I think she needs to reload!" Chachazero informed her master as she held on to his shirt for all she was worth. She found her grip failing her and cried out, "M-master! I'm slippi-" She stopped voicing her distress quickly when Negi suddenly snatched her off his back and held her securely in his arms. If she were able to blush she would have reminded Negi of the drink he craved most. "Thanks..." She mumbled in embarrassment.

"I can't have you disappearing!" Negi winked at her before his playful mood reverted back to all business. "Hold on tight!" He kicked off with his right foot and preformed a shundo! He was sent flying forward at top speed and when he looked back the head light from Katherine's motorcycle was a mere speck. "Alri-"

"Master! Look out for that-"

**_Crrrack!_**

"Ow." Negi groaned dully when he collided in to a tree that rudely got in his way. Due to his speed he simply plowed right through it causing it to crack in half before it crashed to the ground, alerting Katherine of hid position. "I hate forests!" He growled before hearing the rev of Katherine's motorcycle again. It seemed that the vampire hunter was locked and loaded again.

"Nosferatu!" She yelled in a thick German accent. "Your demise is near!" Her raven hair rushed behind her head as she picked up more speed and popped a wheelie over the fallen tree. She had Negi in her sights once more, her blue eyes twinkling with the glimmer of a natural hunter but she found something very wrong about the terrain she was traveling now. It almost felt like she was going down a...

"Hill!" She growled. "He's going to escape!" She took aim again and concentrated hard on his fleeting form as the edge of the cliff came near. Then she kicked hard on the brakes so she wouldn't fall off the upcoming edge and took the shot. Negi was so relieved to see his way out that his mind didn't register the report from the shotgun.

"MASTER!" Chachazero screamed when his chest convulsed as the scattered shot hit it's mark. A short spray of blood rushed out of the gunshot wound and Negi's eyes went blank for a moment. This was the first time he ever felt this odd and painful sensation and the intense explosion of fire that coursed through his body from the wound killed all rational senses and movement. He found himself plunging down in to the darkness of the abyss that awaited him below but he couldn't take off to save himself.

"G-gahhh..." Negi choked. "Cha...cha..."

"Master!" Chachazero held on tight when Negi could no longer hold her in his arms as he started to lose all consciousness. His vampiric regeneration abilities weren't kicking in. What did that damned hunter shoot him with?! "Silver bullets!" She cursed before she felt herself fading as well. "Master's flow...is being cut off..." She dug in to the inner pocket of his jacket with everything she had left. "Ne...gi..." What followed next was complete darkness as her eyes dulled from it's lively green to a dead gray.

Katherine got off from her bike when she leaned it against a bush and carefully made her way to the edge of the cliff to make sure that her target wasn't holding on for dear life. She didn't see him take off so the only way for him was down. "...Did I do it?" She saw no trace of a struggle with the branches growing out from the side of the hill. There were some that were cracked most likely from his dead weight but nothing else. She sighed, falling back on to the grass and moss. "Rest in peace...Springfield. If only things were different...if only you weren't one of them..."

**_F--------------------------------------------V----------------------------------------------A_**

"We are almost at your estate, Mistress Dalziel." The driver told the vampiress who was sitting in the back seat. Her hair was a reddish blonde and her eyes were as crimson as the blood coursing through her veins. She was dressed in some old-fashioned clothes fit for a huntress with the exception of her vampiric mantle, which was draped over her shoulders. At her side was a sheathed rapier held firmly in one of her gloved hands. Two other female vampires in the back seat of the limousine who were also armed with rapiers accompanied her, however, their blades weren't as elegantly crafted.

"Very well." Alice Dalziel nodded, her voice laced with an Irish accent. "It would be refreshing to see how the others are holding up down there." She chuckled with a demented grin. The limousine drove further along the dark path until Alice flinched when her senses picked up something concealed in the darkness of the night. "Stop driver!" She ordered and not a moment later did the car come to a halt.

"What is the matter Mistress?" One of her comrades asked on alert.

"You don't sense that?" Alice asked, swiveling her eyes toward her.

"I don't understand."

"I'll be back." She opened the door and stepped out in to the road.

"Mistress Dalziel!" Her other comrade called but she ignored the call and walked further in to the blanket of darkness. Her heightened vampiric senses allowed her to see everything as clear as though it had been daylight outside. She approached a brook near the source of the aura she was picking up and narrowed her eyes imperceptibly when she spotted a fallen form.

"A young man?" She leaped across the brook gracefully and landed lightly beside Negi. His jacket was tattered and torn from the fall and his shirt was crusted with blood, chilled by the evening cold. He must have been lying there for a few hours at most. The dark mistress crouched down beside him and inhaled the aroma coming from his wound. "...My, my. That is Shinso blood coursing through his veins and such rich blood!"

"Mistress Dalziel?" Her two comrades caught up with her. "What did you find?"

"One of our own." Alice answered. "And he's been wounded."

"He?"

"Yes, a male and an extraordinarily gifted one too. His aura is unlike anything I've ever felt before and right now it's faint. Imagine him in top form!" Alice licked her lips and lifted Negi up in her arms.

"Mistress, allow me." One of the female vampires offered but Alice shook her head.

"No. I'll do this myself." She told them. "This one is something special." She walked back to the limousine and gently settled him in despite the blood that was all over his clothes. She completely overlooked Chachazero who was still tucked in the large inside pocket of his jacket. When her comrades joined her in the back and closed the door she ordered the driver to precede.

"What was the problem, Mistress?" the driver asked.

"We've picked up a fellow Shinso."

"In the middle of nowhere? That's odd."

"No, it's fate."

* * *

**_The Next morning..._**

Negi stirred in his sleep as he shifted in the bed he was laying in. He was in a large room with some medical equipment around the bed. The drapes were pulled over the windows so the rays from the sun wouldn't pour in to the room and Alice stood by the door with some of her servants. When they saw signs of movement from the young magi they approached the bed and the Mistress leaned over him with a grin. She had to admit that he was quite handsome.

"Wake up." She cooed in to his ear, eliciting a moan from him in response. A moment later he furrowed his brows in what they interpreted as confusion and his eyes slowly took the sight of them in.

"Hmm?" Negi rubbed his eyes as he gradually sat up in bed and he went wide-awake as he patted his bandaged chest. He scrambled backwards when he turned his gaze to come face to face with Alice and hit the back of his head against the bed post. "Who are you?!" Negi asked, startled by the unexpected guests. "W-where am I?" His eyes darted around quickly when he noticed that his familiar was missing as well. "Chacha-chan? Where is she?!"

"Do you mean this doll?" One of the medical servants dangled Chachazero before Negi's eyes by their fingers as though the puppet was offensive to hold.

"Oh!" Negi snatched her away from the female servant quickly and clutched Chachazero to his chest. "Thank god you're safe. "He mumbled to her even though she wasn't even conscious. Alice raised an eyebrow at this odd display of behavior and asked, "Do you remember your name, young man?"

"Huh?" Negi turned back to her as though he just remembered she was in the room with him. "Who are you?"

"Answer my question first." She persisted. "Do you remember your name?"

"My name is, Negi." His answer was short and simple as to not arouse any suspicion. He knew that his father was very well known in the world of magic and that included the underworld of vampires since Dark Mistresses seemed to be fans of the "Thousand Master" as well. It wouldn't be in his best interest to include his last name.

"Your full name." Alice pushed on, placing a hand on her hip. Negi's mind started to work fast. He had to find a way to convince her so she wouldn't stress the issue so much. Finally he placed his hand over his forehead as though he felt a sudden stab of pain and answered, "I...I don't remember."

"Hmm...I see." She didn't sound too convinced but she didn't go any further with that train of thought. She regarded him for a moment before her eyes wandered over to Chachazero who was dangling lifelessly in his arms. She could sense that the puppet had some magical properties despite the fact that Negi's aura was flowing through her at the moment. "And what does that puppet mean to you? You were going erratic before we gave it to you."

"It was a gift from someone very important to me." Negi answered, causing the Mistress to raise an eyebrow skeptically.

"So you do remember something..." She crossed her arms. "Is this important person still alive or dead?" Her voice sounded hopeful when she emphasized the word "Dead". Almost as though she was depending on his answer to be the latter.

"Dead." Negi lied with a straight face. He took a cursory of the room before looking back at Alice. She was a natural beauty but then again, all of the female vampires he'd met so far were very attractive. Even her servants were quite stunning. He felt as though he had stumbled across some sort of amazon clan. "Can you please tell me where I am? How did I get here?"

"I found you left for dead last night on the side of the road." Alice nodded to one of her servants and the female vampire held out a silver piece of the scatter shot that they removed from his wound in a cloth. "Someone must have shot you with a silver bullet and assumed you were finished, however, that was not the case."

_Katherine..._Negi shook his head for a moment, as he was lost in his thoughts.

"Negi." Alice called his attention. "You are an amazing young man. I can feel your power recovering at an astounding rate even now." Her words made Negi tense. Every time someone complimented his abilities what followed after never was a good thing. "Tell me...are you a natural born or were you turned?"

"Excuse me?" Negi played coy.

"Who welcomed you in to our ranks?" Alice asked.

"I don't remember." Negi lied again. "Now, can you please tell me where I am?"

"You are at my estate."

"...And who...are you?" Negi asked hesitantly.

"I am, Mistress Alice Dalziel." She introduced herself. "I am one of the Dark Mistresses and leader of my Shinso clan."

"Shinso..." Negi felt his throat close up.

"Yes Negi. You are amongst your own kind." Alice smiled warmly. "Do you remember where you're from?"

"I'm sorry but that is a question I cannot answer." Negi apologized.

"You would do well to answer her." one of the mistress' servants warned him but Alice gestured for her to step away.

"No...it's understandable. It's natural not to trust anyone after being put through such an experience. It's natural for anyone to behave this way." Alice reasoned before grinning at the young magi. "Well you must be hungry aren't you?"

"Sort of..." Negi replied awkwardly. Mistress Dalziel was much different from all the other vampires he had come to meet on his travels. _Which reminds me...I wonder how Xue is holding up without me. I hope she can get used to being a vampire. W-what am I thinking?! Of course she can take care of herself!_

"Very well then." Alice clasped her hands together before turning to the servant beside her. "Get Negi dressed and bring him to my personal dining quarters." She turned back to Negi with the grin never leaving her face. "We'll be able to talk much more privately that way." She snapped her fingers and all the servants with the exception of the one she spoke to left with her. There was a pregnant silence as Negi and the female vampire stared at each other. Her eyes were a cobalt blue and she had short blonde hair. The clothes she had on were elegant despite the fact she was a servant.

"I will be your personal escort Mr. Negi." She told him with a slight bow. "I don't normally bow to a 'male shinso' but Mistress Dalziel favors you so I will respect you." Negi blinked at her words and cocked his head to the side. "I see that you aren't familiar with our shinso clan. Mistress Dalziel's clan ranks higher than other shinso clans in the midian underworld. What sets us apart from others is that fact that this clan is made up solely of female vampires, however, we are feared and respected by all."

"So you all look down upon male vampires." Negi finished her explanation.

"You're quick. Maybe there is something special about you." She mocked. "My name is Eilis."

"And your la-"

"My last name holds no significance." She cut him off before he could speak any further. She held him some odd looking clothes that were draped over her arm. "The Mistress had these clothes made for you while you were resting. Put these on and I'll take you to her dining quarters. You should be honored."

"I'd like to ask one question though." Negi told her.

"Suddenly full of questions are we?" Eilis asked, narrowing her eyes imperceptibly. "It's a shame that you weren't this talkative when the Mistress was here."

"I'm sorry...it's just that since this is a shinso clan..." Negi swallowed hard before he continued. "Do you know anything about, "Dark Evangel"?"

"What kind of question is that?!" She almost sounded offended by his question. "Dark Evangel is the Goddess of all Shinso women! Mistress Dalziel has spent her entire life chasing her shadow to be as respected and powerful as she ever was. "Dark Evangel" was a name that all the other clans feared. She was a goddess of death that could take on a horde of enemies and obliterate them with one blow and yet..." Eilie went silent for a moment, gripping her left arm with her other hand. "One day she simply disappeared without a trace and the shinso nation had suffered a considerable blow itself. They say she fell in love with a powerful wizard and devoted the rest of her entire life pursuing him." Her eyes were intense when she finished her speech and her shoulder rose and fell as she steadied herself. "So yes...we know who "Dark Evangel" is and the last thing we need is for some lost midian to question our knowledge. The nerve..."

She left his clothes on the bed before him and left the room without sparing him another glance. Negi closed his eyes, pulling his legs up against his chest and sighed. "How do I manage to get myself cornered like this all the time?" He stretched his legs out again, holding Chachazero out in front of him and concentrated. After a while The puppet's eyes were filled with life again and she wriggled in his hands. She was about to cry out excitedly but Negi shushed her with a finger against her lips.

"Master, where are we?" She asked in a whisper. "How did we get here?"

"We were found by another Dark Mistress." Negi answered her, his eyes swiveling over to the door every few seconds to make sure that they weren't being spied on.

"Another Mistress?! Are you just some sort of Mistress magnet or something?!" The puppet was bordering on hysterical.

"Calm down..." Negi told his familiar. "Right now we have to find a way to leave this place peacefully. I don't know what Mistress Daliziel wants with me but if she finds out my connection with master...I may never be able to return to Mahora."

* * *

**_Maharo Festival: Day Two (Mahora Budokai, SECOND ROUND)_**

"Um..." Evangeline had her back facing Negi as she gripped the rails that ensured that no one would fall forward from the ringside. The young magi wasn't sure if it was a good time to talk to her but he was just curious. "E-Eva? Are you alright?" He placed a hand on her shoulder but he snatched it back when she flinched at his touch. "S-sorry!"

"Whaddya want?" The annoyance was clear in her words when she questioned him. Ever since the end of Asuna and Setsuna's match, she had been this way. He wasn't exactly sure what was the nature of her conversation with Ku:Nel Sanders during the match but it sure left her kind of fidgety not to mention a little more cranky.

"Uh, er...nothing really." Negi replied nervously.

"Then why get my attention?"

"I was just a little worried about you." Negi admitted.

"Well, don't be!"

**_"Moving on to Match No. 8! It's the master of 3D Jujitsu, Yamashita Kei'Ichi Vs. Evangeline A.K. Mcdowell of the Mahora Jr. high "GO" club!!"_**

Evangeline had a demented grin on her face when she heard her name called. This would be the moment she could vent a little frustration on some innocent bystander. "Well, I'm up." She sighed, turning to face her disciple. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said before but right now I'm in the mood to go kill some dreams." Her eyes wandered over to her opponent who was taking his place up on the stage with a smug look on his face. Obviously he had no idea how much of a mistake it was for him to even come this far. "And there goes my dreamer." She said evilly.

"...Um, what did I miss?" Negi asked.

"Well-"

"NOTHING!" Evangeline cut Chachazero off before she could explain Albireo's wager with the chibi-vampire. Negi backed away a little from the threatening finger that Evangeline was pointing at his familiar and said, "You know what? Forget I even asked about the whole thing."

"You better not tell him!" Evangeline growled at Chachazero. "I mean it! One word and I'll have you ready for the chop shop! I'll light you on fire and stomp on your ashes! I'll have you imprisoned in a block of ice while Chachamaru has her way with Negi before your very eyes!" Her last threat almost made Negi do a back flip.

"WH-WHAT?!" Negi's mind imploded. "You'll have Chachamaru do what?!"

"Don't worry about it master Negi!" Chachazero told him quickly. Evangeline's last threat was enough for the sadistic puppet to finally obey. She could care less if she was burned to cinders. She's have the last laugh the entire time the fire consumed her but to have Chachamaru have her fun with her master; **_HER_** master was something she would never allow!

"Then we have an understanding?" She asked the puppet.

"Yep." Chachazero replied.

"Good." Evangeline smirked before setting her sights back on Negi. "Now don't blink boya or you'll miss the entire match." With those last cryptic words she turned away and headed for the stage.

**_"Say what you will folks, but Mcdowell is some kind of ten-year-old doll!"_** Kazumi commented on Evangeline's appearance much to the adoration of the audience who all still had the image of her and Negi walking to the infirmary together. The vampiress' hands twitched when she heard all the comments about her looking cute from the audience. Now she seriously was in the mood to go hurt somebody! **_"But what is her combat like?!"_** The photographer flet herself feeling a little curious as well when Evangeline didn't even bother to get in to a fighting stance. She simply looked up at the sky as though it was of more interest to her than the match itself.

**_"And now the Eighth match...FIGHT!"_**

_Negi Blinked..._

_...and the match was over..._

"W-what the..." Negi let his jaw drop when Evangeline's opponent was already on the floor, motionless with drool trailing down the side of his mouth. Evangeline turned her head to regard him and he pumped his hand in the air immediately, crying out, "Th-that's my master!"

"Heh...Negi." She chuckled before her expression went completely serious. Albiero's words still echoed in her mind about Nagi. _So you're still alive out there...somewhere._

_Even so...thought you've sought him all these years the day of your meeting may in fact never come, Evangeline..._

_But...he's still out there..._Evangeline clenched her fists tightly. _Nagi...My heart refuses to let go of you. Damn you for leaving me like this!_ She looked back at Negi again who had a worried look on his face. He must have been worried about her. _...And yet I should thank you for bringing him in to existence._

_"Well, done. As ruthless as ever I see..."_Dorothy crossed her arms as she watched Evangeline leave the stage below. Her opponent had to be taken off the stage by the medic team from the infirmary. Her eyes widened slightly with delight when she saw the Dark Mistress approach her disciple to be showered by his praise. Apparently Evangeline still got a kick out of being worshipped by someone and in this case it was Negi. "Lingshen..." The mistress called to the young vampire.

"Yes Mistress?" Chao looked up from the photo she was viewing and set it face down on the table.

"I noticed Evangel having a conversation with a hooded figure earlier." Dorothy turned away from the view of the stage when Albireo took his place up on the stage for his match with Kotaro. "Who is he? That man has a power that may pose an obstacle to our plans."

"Tha would be Ku:Nel Sanders." Chao replied. "Otherwise known as Albireo Imma. One of the "Thousand Master's" old comrades from the Crimson Wings."

"He was involved with Nagi?" Dorothy scratched her chin. "...Negi..."

"I wouldn't worry." Chao said. "He won't interfere."

"How do you come to that conclusion?" She turned to face the Chinese girl.

"His condition won't allow him to." Chao replied, sliding the photo across the table until she was able to slip it in to her pocket. The observation deck tremored from an explosion below telling both women that the match had already picked up a notch. "In fact, he is only serving to help us."

"What were you looking at?" Dorothy asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Excuse me?" Chao questioned.

"The photo." The mistress persisted.

"Nothing reall-" Chao felt the photo slip out of her pocket before she could finish. The picture phased out of existence before appearing in the mistress' hand. A look of recognition washed over Dorothy's face when she examined it. "It's just a photo of mother..." Chao said dejectedly.

"Ah yes...I remember her well. She was a brilliant woman." Dorothy remarked. "It's a shame that the council of magic had her killed. They couldn't allow someone to grow so powerful so they needed her out of the way." The vampiress sent the photo back to Chao and turned back to the window. _Those fools never could have predicted what would have arisen when she died. _Dorothy looked to Negi who was hanging over the ringside rails, cheering on Kotaro for all he was worth. _You became something simply breath taking my darkling. It's my loss that Evangel already sunk her fangs in to you before I did. That will no longer be an obstacle in due time though._

"Negi-chan's next match is coming up." Chao informed the mistress, taking one last look at her mother. "He'll be facing Takane Goodman."

"Ah, you mean that fine young woman who was stripped of her clothing?"

"Yes."

"There is something slightly odd about her." Dorothy commented. "She seems to share some kind of bond with Negi."

"I've sensed it as well." Chao agreed. "I've had my suspicions about her. I think Negi may have turned her."

"...That is unexpected."

"It is." Chao smirked. "However it may work to our advantage."

**_----------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning our attention to the match below..._**

**_---------------------------------------------------------------_**

Things were beginning to look grim for Kotaro as he lashed out at Ku:Nel Sanders with everything he had in him. He knew from the moment he saw this man that he wasn't going to be an easy opponent but it seemed that he had still underestimated him. All of his melee attacks were bouncing off of the hooded man like mere taps and his "Inu-gami" arts all proved ineffective when faced by Albireo's immense endurance and stamina. Kotaro stared back at his opponent from the other side of the ring trying to steady himself. He couldn't allow himself to get exhausted or this man was going to get the best of him.

_Then again I've already given him my best! This guy is seriously hurting my pride!_ Kotaro spared a moment to steal a glance over at Negi. _Negi's tried so hard to come this far so we could fight...I can't fail him now! Him and me made a promise and I'm gonna keep it!_

"Shall we give it another try?" Albireo asked politely with a smile. Kotaro growled fiercely at the mage and dropped in to a fighting stance before charging at him with full speed. Just before Kotaro made his strike he preformed a ninja split, becoming seven after images of himself. Then he gathered the essence of his Inu-gami arts in to his hands before unleashing it all upon the older mage. The result was an explosion that engulfed the entire stage, however, in the midst of the smoke; Albireo appeared above Kotaro and slammed him against the ring with an elbow to the back! Kotaro's body skipped off the floor when he made contact and the mage came at him!

"NO!" Kotaro cried out, watching Albireo come at him with his cloak rushing behind him majestically. Before the dog demon could even think up a counter attack he was struck hard with a sudden blast of pressure that sent him flying to the wall on the other side. Some of the beaten challengers who were watching from the far eastern wall threw themselves to the side in order to avoid being collided with the youth that was launched in their direction. Kotaro's body smashed in to the wall, leaving a decent sized crater but he wasn't spent yet.

"You are quite strong yet-"

"NO! NOT YET!" Kotaro seemed to be on the verge of bursting in to tears as he pried himself free from the wall. He landed on his feet and got down on one knee when he fell off balance. "N-Negi beat Takamichi to come this far. I can't give up! NOT HERE AND NOT NOW!"

"Oh?" The mage's eyes went wide with surprise when Kotaro's body convulsed. The young man fell back against the wall panting hard until his chest suddenly puffed out as though he was in pain.

"Kotaro-kun?" Negi felt shivers running down his spine when Kotaro's hair stood completely up and his pupils had suddenly vanished.

Dorothy watched from the observation tower above with a disgusted expression. "Ugh, that young man is changing in to a beast. He's one of those miserable flee-bitten, lycans." She looked to Albireo who watched the process go on and snorted with a fearsome smirk. "That man better stop the boy now or he'll be in for an experience."

"GRRRRRR!" Kotaro growled unnaturally as his hands started their but moments later-

**_CRACK!_**

"UGH?!" Kotaro was slammed against the wall again with much more force than before, leaving him lodged against it again unconscious. Albiero sighed, letting his arms fall back to his sides and smiled in satisfaction.

"Lycanthropy...goodness me. If you had managed to transform, you might've done it. Still, theres something to be said about such a straight ahead fellow. Negi-kun is very lucky to have a friend like you."

**_"What an impact! The entire audience could must've felt the tremor from the stands! Could this really be the end of challenger Murakami?!" _**Kazumi watched as the Crimson Wing member passed her before looking back at Kotaro who was still unconscious from the stunning blow. She stole a glance back at Negi who was in shock from what he had just seen and shook her head. This was going to be tough. **_"Challeneger Murakami is out! Challenger Ku:Nel wins!"_**

"Kotaro!" Negi tried to run to his friend but he felt someone tug him back. He turned around to see Mei with a look of worry on her face. "What are you doing Mei?! I've got to go over there now!"

"Negi..." Mei moaned.

"Negi...she's right." Kaede stepped in for her. "Right now would not be a good time to go over there."

"But we promised!"

"I know, but going over there would only make him feel worse for losing." Kaede nodded to Mei so she could let go of the young magi and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Right now you should get ready for your match. You'll be able to talk with him later when he's settled down." Negi nodded reluctantly at her reason and walked away from them. The young magi caste his eyes to the floor as he walked on until he bumped in to Evangeline who had stepped in his way to stop him.

"Oh, mas-um- Eva!" Negi blinked, looking at her face. "I'm sorry about that."

"Whatever boya." Evangeline said off handedly. "I'm assuming that the mutt's loss is already eating away at you."

_His name is Kotaro..._ Negi thought, looking to the side.

_That doesn't matter to me right now and it never did._ Evangeline responded to him telepathically. _Look, I understand that you two made a promise to each other but don't let your feelings get in the way of your performance._

_How did you-_

_I'm your master boya. I know about your anxieties and your troubles...despite the fact that your mind has been a little hard to read lately. _Evangeline placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair. _You're doing well so far, Negi. Don't mess up now and disappoint me._

_Eva-chan?_

_What is it? _The vampiress perked up at the way he addressed her.

_That...uh...kiss earlier..._

_You mean in the infirmary? What about it? _Evangeline grinned evilly. _Have you suddenly fallen head over heels for me?_

_Well...er...I just want to know why._

_Is it wrong for me to express myself around you?_

_Of course not! I'm not saying that it was wrong or anything._

_Let's just say that I've been learning a bit about myself since you moved in with me. Now as for your next match..._ Evangeline narrowed her eyes imperceptibly as the grin on her face faltered. "You're going to be fighting Gandolfini's little golden girl aren't you?"

"You mean T-takane-san?!" Negi didn't even hear about that!

"You obviously have not been looking at the match ups on the chart, huh?" Evangeline placed a hand on her hip skeptically. "I swear you're so dense sometimes. Wake up boya."

"I'm sorry Eva...it's just that lately I haven't been myself." Negi explained. "My mind feels a little scrambled."

"I know." Evangeline replied before turning her back on him. "Look, I'll be watching your match. Snap out of it boya or you'll have to take it up with me when you lose. Oh..." She smirked again. "And don't forget about our date if you happen to lose anyway."

"Y-yes ma'am." Negi stammered, watching her walk away. "...Great, I think I just wasted my time with Chachamaru. She's going to think that I'm some sort of jerk now." He leaned against the wall with a sigh but the hairs on the back of his neck stood up when someone walked past him. "Ku:Nel..." Negi mumbled, looking up at the hooded man. The older mage turned his head to glance back at Negi and for the briefest of moments the color left Negi's face. "F..father?" Negi choked as the hooded man proceeded to walk on. "F-ather...Father!" Negi reached for him but the man disappeared.

"What was that?!" Negi whipped around to see if the man had appeared behind him but no one was there. "Who are you?! Where are you?!" Negi was finally overcome with frustration and he clenched his left hand in to a tight fist before smashing it against the wall! Cracks trailed up to the very top of the wall but nothing else happened. "I don't understand anymore! Is my mind playing tricks on me?!"

* * *

"Oh no...that is not good." Gandolfini groaned, around the straw he was drinking his fountain drink from. "This is turning out to spread very quickly!" His eyes read through the posts on some forum that Shizuna was showing him on her pilot. The posts all had something to do with this sudden exposure to magic at the Maharo Budokai. The dark skinned teacher turned to Seruhiko and Professor Akashi who were enjoying themselves to some clips of Negi's match with Takamichi and raised an eyebrow. 

"What is that?" He asked, pulling the straw away from his mouth.

"It's some footage of Negi's match with Takahata-sensei!" Professor Akashi replied. "Look at him go!"

"Go Takamichi g-oh?!" Seruhiko did a double take at the screen when Negi suddenly slammed the older mage through the floor. "Whoa! Did Negi really do that? Takamichi seriously must've felt that one!"

"W-wait!" Akashi jammed his hand right in to Seruhiko's face just as Takamichi sent the young magi flying in to the air. "See! Takamichi still has something under his sleeve."

"Will you two grow up?" Gandolfini sighed, shaking his head before both of his eyes went wide with horror as Negi was engulfed in a ray of energy on the laptop screen. "What...just...happened?"

"It looks like...Takamichi just killed him." Seruhiko said with his mouth agape.

"Wait just a moment. Do you really think they would show this footage if Takamichi killed Nagi's boy?!" Akashi pointed at the screen saying, "Wait..."

The screen was still white...

"Wait!" All the professors waited watched intently as the screen finally cleared up and Takamichi held Negi by the collar. "See? I told y-WHOA!" The entire faculty watching the screen flinched when Negi savagely took the other sensei down with a powered strike.

"Who knew Negi-kun had it in him?" Seruhiko laughed nervously.

"Ha, ha...makes me want to fight him myself." Akashi laughed along with the other teacher; beads of sweat threatening to trail down the side of his forehead. "That's Nagi's boy alright...heh...heh..."

"Professor, please be serious." Shizuna intervened on their fun before turning to Gandolfini. His right eye was twitching as though it would suddenly combust at any given moment.

"You sure this is okay, Toko-san?" Gandolfini asked.

"The tournament itself was approved by the headmaster so whatever footage you see there must be okay." The lovely counselor replied, tapping the screen of her pilot with it's stick.

"Still, with Chaos Linghsen sponsoring the tournament..." Akashi trailed off.

"I know." Shizuna nodded with his reasoning.

"I'll put in a word with the headmaster though. Maybe it's time we brought in more observers." The professore pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. He waited a moment and greeted, "Hello, Sister Shakti?"

**_---------------------------------------_**

**_Back at the Tournament grounds..._**

**_---------------------------------------_**

"Observe the tournament?" Sister Shakti questioned with a hint of confusion laced in her voice. "But what about the patrolling of the World Tree?" Misora and Kokone watched their superior nod at what they assumed was the answer to her question before she hung up.

"It's off to the Mahora Budokai for us." Shakti announced to them.

"And the confessions?" Misora asked as she hefted Kokone on to her shoulders.

"Another team will step in for us."

"Really?!" The young nun bounced on her feet excitedly. Now she'd have her chance to watch her sensei in action!

"What a relief. You two might actually be useful!" Shakti grinned.

"Blunt as usual, Sister Shakti." Misora bowed her head dejectedly.

* * *

"Master! It's been so long!" Chachazero reached out for him with her tiny hands as Negi held her up. Setsuna watched with a warm smile at the little reunion. Chachazero was seriously a different person whenever she was around Negi. The same could be said of Chachamaru. 

"Have you been behaving?" Negi teased her.

"Of course not!" She cackled mischievously.

"I should of known." Negi chuckled, sweat-dropping.

"So are you ready to beat down that blonde?!" The sadistic puppet asked excitedly.

"Well, I wouldn't use the term beat do-"

_"NEGI-SENSEI!"_ Negi and Setsuna cringed at the sound of Takane's voice. Why did she always have to get excited whenever he was concerned? Negi, Chachzero and Setsuna turned around to see the blonde magistress walking their way quickly with her cloak on. It would appear that she recovered from her little accident earlier with Tanaka.

"T-Takane..." Negi squeaked in fear.

"At last, the time has come for me to see to you personally! I observed your level of skill in your match with Takahata-sensei and your seemingly endless will to fight!" She pointed a finger at him with determination written all over her face and a dash of rosiness from the blush that crept up on her face for no apparent reason. "I, Takane Goodman will allow you no quarter! None at all, do you hear me?!"

"...Okay..." Negi nodded awkwardly. "But, um-"

"No excuses!" Takane cut him off, turning away from him. _I'll show you that I can keep up Negi! You'll never leave me behind because I'll always be following you to the end of the world if I have to!_ With that she walked towards the ring for the match to be announced. Mei ran past her to reach Negi with a look of embarrassment plastered over her face.

"Oh, Negi! I'm so sorry!" Mei apologized. "When onesan makes up her mind about something there's just no changing it!"

"It's okay." Negi assured her. "I'll just have to stop her before she get's too crazy." Negi handed Chachazero to her much to the puppet's displeasure and started off towards the ring. "Take care of her while I'm up, okay?"

"Um..." Mei stared back at Chachazero as the puppet narrowed her eyes at her. "...okay..."

**_"Challengers please report to the stage!"_** Kazumi called. When Negi arrived on the stage and took his place across from Takane the photographer took a moment to look at the blonde magistress. Was it just her or was the girl looking just a tad too giddy to be facing off against Negi? "Maybe she's a fan of his?" Kazumi mumbled to no one in particular. **_"Er, well, no need for introductions! These two talented fighters have taken their stand on the stage before so let us proceed to match No. 11!"_**

"Hmm?" Evangeline furrowed her brows when she felt something odd coming from Takane. "How is she drawing energy from boya? It's as if she's bonded to him somehow..." The vampiress crossed her arms and clenched her teeth. "Just, what the heck is going on here?"

**_"FIGHT!"_**

"Oh Negi, I feel so fired up just being in the same ring with you." Takane purred, clutching her cloak tightly in preparation to pull it off in one swift motion. "Prepare to see the real me Negi!"

"I feel something coming..." Negi growled as he got in to a fighting stance. He felt something ominous approaching indeed and it was coming from Takane in chilling vibes.

"Prepare yourself!" She roared, pulling off the cloak. In that very instant a violent wind blew and Negi had to brace himself to keep from behind swept up by the powerful force. His mage cloak flapped behind him with the violent wind and Negi watched on in shock as Takane was engulfed in a veil of shadows. "Now this is going over the top!" Negi shouted in disbelief. Kazumi did the intelligent thing and backed away to a safe distance as the veil around the blonde magistress twisted and turned like a vortex that suddenly changed to flow of wind so that it started to pull Negi towards it.

"That power is unnatural." Dorothy commented with a smirk as she watched on at the spectacle with Chao. "Now there is no doubt in my mind that Negi turned her. No one else could endow that young woman with such power."

"Hmm..." Chao spotted Evangeline watching from ringside. "I wonder if she realizes it."

"Huh?" Negi blinked when everything was suddenly deathly quiet and the vortex stopped pulling him in. He stepped toward the dark form that had taken the place of the violent vortex and recognized the form of a woman with bat-like wings. "Takane?" His hair was whipped back when Takane opened her wings to reveal her body to him. She had on a black lace costume that looked as though it was out of some gothic anime series. _(Ahem...this is real life, you know?)_

The crowd went wild at the show that had just ended before them, oblivious to what had actually taken place.

"Unexpected..." Takane offered him a fanged grin. "But it'll do!" She got in to a fighting stance and shadow-like whips came flailing out from her wings like wriggling snakes.

"Whoa!" Negi was speechless.

**_"Whoa is right! Is this CG or what folks?!"_** Kazumi cried out.

"Go!" Takane pointed at Negi and the whips lashed at him at top speed! Negi kicked away just in time to avoid being slapped down by the painful whips but they were as quick as angry serpents, lashing after again him without warning! Negi twisted his body in mid-air to perform an elaborate summersault to avoid being struck again, however, just as the whips lashed past him his vampiric senses went screaming!

"I've got you!" Takane cried out delightedly from behind him as she suddenly phased in to existence. She reared back her hand, grinning wildly and slammed Negi down to the ground with a well-placed punch to the back. Negi's body bounced right off the stage floor from the impact and he heard a thunderous flap from the shadow user's wings. He braced himself instinctively for what was to come next and found himself facing some unforgiving wall that started coming for him at an alarming rate or rather he was heading towards the wall at an alarming rate! Setsuna and the others winced painfully as Negi collided with the wall and fell on to his back.

"Uh..." Negi felt his head spinning. If Takane was already giving him this many problems than he just dreaded the moment he stepped in to that ring with his master. He slowly got on to one knee but he cried out when he felt one of Takane's dark whips wrap around his left leg with a loud crack before he was pulled back in to the ring seemingly as quickly as he was launched away. He turned his head slightly to see Mei's horrified face before Takane stepped over him. "T..takane?" He questioned. His mind was still reeling from being thrown around like a rag doll.

"Come now Negi." She cooed sinisterly. "Surely you can do better than this! I'm only fighting you this way because you've proved to be such an amazing fighter! Don't do this to me!" Negi's world went flashing when he was tossed up in to the air by the blonde magistress.

"Oh...man..." Negi muttered miserably when he felt a rough tug on his leg. She was pulling him right back down to the ring wasn't she? "I need to fight back already!" Negi suddenly yelled, grabbing a hold of the whip that was wrapped around his leg. Takane watched from below as the young magi's right hand flashed before burning the whip in his hand to slivers. Then he powered up two shots of energy in both hands before unleashing it upon Takane below but to Negi's dismay she simply used one of her wings to shield herself from the blasts and withdrew it before sending a few more of her whips lashing up toward him. Negi twisted to dodge the first whip that came up for him and grabbed a hold of two other whips before they could bind him but he couldn't stop the last whip from binding his waist. The G-force that rushed through him simply stole the breath from him as Takane pulled him straight back down.

"C-can't...lose..." Negi charged his dark energy in to one fist and waited for Takane to bring him down close enough just for him to unleash the wave of darkness upon her. The floorboards under her erupted in dark flames as the attack made impact and she released him but when he landed on the stage and the smoke cleared out she merely stood over him smirking. "You can't be real..." Negi was in shock.

"In this form such attacks are useless, Negi-sensei." Takane pointed an open palm at him. "My turn." She cooed sweetly before engulfing him in a blaze of darkness. Negi felt the energy licking at his body but he stood up against it regardless, causing Takane to widen her eyes in wonder. "What strength...what determination..." Takane felt herself blushing again. "What pushes you to go on sensei?! Why do you resist me? Why do you oppose it so?!"

"Now's my chance!" Negi cried out, performing a shundo. In the blink of an eye he was right in front of her with a charming grin on his face.

"H-huh?" Takane was caught completely off guard for a moment as she felt her heart skip a beat but she saw through his strategy and dodged to the side before he could lay his hand on her. She crossed her arms together and tried to sweep Negi off his feet with her two wings but he jumped over them and closed the space between them. Negi whipped around when she disappeared just in time to see her try and ambush him with a kick but he ducked under it and caught her leg in one arm and grabbed her by the waist with the other, placing them in an odd pose that looked as though they were dancing. "N-negi!" She broke free and attempted to catch him with a shadow jab to the gut but he caught her hand just in time and jerked her to the side causing her to spin like a ballerina before ending up in his arms again.

"A-Ahh..." She was blushing up to her ears when she found herself gazing back up at Negi's handsome face. She attempted to push herself away from him but to everyone in the audience it seemed more as thought Negi dipped her and brought her back up towards him.

"Now I'm getting pissed off." Evangeline growled, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"Are they dancing or something?" Asuna asked in bewilderment.

"I don't know." Mei replied, biting her thumb while Chachazero watched from up top her head.

"Master is toying with her." The puppet cackled.

"Negi?" Takane whispered, finding that her wings were slowly closing around the young magi to keep him close. "Wh-what are you doing?" She felt her lips trembling as he leaned closer to her until their noses were practically touching. Was he going to kiss her again?! This time he wasn't under anybody's control so it was official! There was no turning back from this...but then why did he let got of her hand and place in on her stomach?

"Oh no!" Takane cried out in horror when realization smacked her with a vengeance but before she could break free, Negi struck her with a point blank Sagitta Magica! Her wings shattered and disintegrated along with the wind in the air and she felt her consciousness fading. All of her energy was being spent from taking on such a powerful form.

**_"Whoa! Her wings are disappearing! How did she pull it off?!"_**

"Takane-san!" Negi held her gently when her head fell back weakly.

"O-oh my gawd!" Chachazero blinked when Mei suddenly went ballistic.

"What's the matter?" Chachazero inquired.

"If onesama loses consciousness..." Mei trailed off when her voice died in her throat.

"If she loses consciousness that wha..." Chachazero realized what the young mage was aiming towards when she saw Takane's clothes slowly dissipate in slivers of black smoke around her nad Negi. "..Ohhhh. I get it." Kazumi's jaw would have crashed through the floor of the ring and reached the core of the Earth by now if it was physically possible. How was it that this young woman could get her clothes off so fast?!

"Uhn..." Takane slowly opened her eyes to look at Negi. "Negi...did I lose the match?" Negi seemed content to simply stare at her face so she blushed and went on with a mellow smile, "Well done Negi-sensei! You're simply amazing, and yet how were you able to aquire such...um...why are you looking at me that way?"

"Um...Negi carefully slipped his right arm out of the sleeve of his mage cloak and wrapped it around her nude body. It was then that she realized that she was-

"AH...AH...EEY...EEK!" Takane latched on to him unexpectedly and the young magi seemed to be on the verg of exploding! "I-I'm naked again!"

"I-I-I know!" Negi cried out woefully, feeling two warm orbs of flesh press against him. "K-Kazumi! PLEASE!" Negi called for help. "T-Takane, please just take my cloak!" He told her but she was so busy going out of her mind that she wouldn't listen. Kazumi rushed over to the pair and tried with all her might to pry the blond magistress free but her grip was surprisingly strong.

"Wh-what is wrong with this girl?!" The photographer screamed.

"She's in a state of shock!" Negi cried out as he pushed against Takane's bare stomach since any other place would just be indecent for description! Before long the girls at ringside rushed in to help and chaos erupted everywhere.

"DAMN SHE'S STRONG!"

"ONESAAAAAAAN! LET GO ALREADY!"

"LET MASTER GO!"

"MS. GOODMAN! THE MATCH IS OVER!"

Evangeline crossed her arms as she watched on from afar and bit her lip by mistake. She licked the puncture in frustration and fumed. "I'm gonna kill him...for sure..." Evangeline felt her own nails digging in to her arm. "After I'm done with Setsuna...he'll be mine."

**_F-------------------------------------------------V---------------------------------------------------------A_**

**_Intermission..._**

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Mistress, you are sick. Now is not the time to stress yourself." Chachamaru leaned over to place her hands on the chibi-vampire but she smacked her offending hands away. The android wisely pulled back, choosing to function for another day over the possibility of being turned to an ice sculpture. It was the time of Evangeline's yearly sickness and it couldn't have possibly struck at a worse time. The Dark Mistress had not received a call from Negi for almost over a month already and it was serving to drive her up the wall! Chachamaru had never seen the undying wizard show as much anger as she was now. It was a wonder that she hadn't decided to go out on a killing spree yet or at least turned the campus of Mahora in to a hell on earth.

"He hasn't called..." Evangeline mumbled dementedly, casting her eyes toward the phone resting on the table near the door every few seconds as she wringed her hands together. "It's been too long already Chachamaru! Why hasn't he called to talk to me yet? Why?!" Evangeline fell victim to a horrible coughing fit, slapping her hands on to her kness to bend over.

"Mistress!" Chachamaru called to her worriedly but the vampiress sent her a deadly glare that stopped her dead in her tracks. Without Chachazero around she was the only target in the residence for the vampire to take her anger and frustration out on. "...Would you at least have a drink of tea?"

"Leave me alone!" Evangeline snarled. "Go to the tea club or something! I'll be waiting here all night if that's what it takes!" Her mind went wild with different reasons as to why Negi hadn't been contacting her. Could Lucinda have possibly gotten her dirty hands on her underling? She was a very powerful vampire so having Negi within her clutches would be a simple task if she managed to corner him. "Or maybe it was Dorothy!" Evangeline's eyes burned fearsomely as she thought about her rival. "Oh...I'll torture her to the last drop of blood if that's what it takes to get even!"

"Mistress..." Chachamaru felt her own hands trembling. "I doubt Negi would allow himself to be seduced or captured by another mistress." The android flinched when Evangeline slowly turned to look back at her.

"You're right..." Evangeline's voice gained an edge. "Negi might be dead instead...that damn idiot must have fought till the very end! The foo-" Evangeline started coughing again until tears stung her eyes.

"Mistress...I didn't mean that either..."

**_---------------------------------------------------_**

**_Setting our sights on that fool..._**

**_---------------------------------------------------_**

_My name is Negi Sprinfield...well, it was Negi Springfield. Now my name is Negi Dalziel; the last name coming from the Dark Mistress who has taken me under her wing. She found me lying on the side of the road in the middle of the night after my confrontation with Katherine and she had me nursed back to health. Anyway, after my breakfast with her I found out about her title and how she gained it. The Shinso nation claims her to be the next "Dark Evangel" due to her amazing leadership and vampiric strength...ahem...while it might not be up to par with Eva-chan, Dorothy or Lucinda's abilities, she is quite close to matching them._

_I've been traveling with her to every one of her estates and she has quite a few. Now that I really think about it, I've been with her for over a month now. I just can't seem to find a chance to escape from her! I've made a few friends amongst her clan though! Eilis and I have become very close since my first day with her and the other girls aren't too bad either. Some of them kind of remind me of my students back at Mahora...gee do I miss them. It does get kind of awkward when I'm around a group of them though, being that I am the only male in Dalziel's clan right now. Chachazero is my only bond to the others right now and she seems to be enjoying herself but I feel so guilty. I haven't spoken to master or Xue in a while...I wonder how they're doing. I wonder how Chachamaru is progressing with her-_

Negi closed the journal when Eilis suddenly opened the door to the study. The vampiress grinned playfully as she approached the table he was sitting at and took the seat beside him. Negi took note of her scent. It was so much different from how she usually smelled before. He wondered if she dashed on some perfume. "Hello Eilis." Negi greeted her, placing his hand over the journal protectively so she wouldn't snatch it away and read from it.

"Good morning Negi." Eilis greeted him. "I see you're writing in your journal again. Are you recovering a few of your memories now?"

"Sort of..." Negi lied. "But I figure it's best not to reflect too much on the past anyway." He chuckled. He knew that if he showed some interest in his "forgotten" past, Eilis would inform the Dark Mistress and she would probably keep a sharper eye on him so he won't decide to leave. The Mistress had taken a lighting to him and now it was hard for him to have any time to himself anymore. Chachazero was beginning to grow tired of not being talked to and his neglect toward her was making him feel guilty as well. Alice asked him to stop walking around with his familiar after having seen him walk with her for a week.

"Well, why don_'t _you have breakfast with me and the girls downstairs? The Mistress hasn't awakened yet so we get to have you all to ourselves." Eilis grabbed on to his free arm and tugged on it to get him moving. "C'mon."

"Alright, alright! Just give me a second!" Negi stashed the small journal in his pocket and allowed himself to be lead out of the room. He didn't have any shoes on so he could feel the smoothness of the red carpet under his feet as he and Eilis descended the staircase. He could smell the delicious scent of breakfast even before they reached the kitchen where the rest of the girls were serving breakfast to those who were seated in the dining room. At the estate that they were currently staying at, there were at least two hundred or more female vampires. It unnerved Negi to even think about how many more vampires Alice probably had in her clan.

"Alright, I managed to bring him out of the study!" Eilis announced, shoving him in to the dining room where all of the girls could see him. All of them smiled and waved at him. He was the only male in the clan so he was fresh meat for each and every one of them. While that idea may be appealing to some, Negi definitely didn't want to know what was their idea of fun.

**_"G' morning, Negi!"_** They all greeted Negi with winks and catcalls. The young magi could almost imagine their voices being replaced with that of the students from his class. He was seriously feeling home sick but at the same time he had a family amongst the girls here and all the other places that Alice took him to. In fact, Alice was beginning to become a close friend as well and she was developing interests in him that were quite deep. This of course was making his decision to leave all that much harder.

"Good morning." Negi greeted them back as he took his usual seat between Eilis and Nessa. _(He knew all their names! Being a teacher could help one do that.) _"Whatever that is cooking, it sure smells good!" Negi exclaimed.

"It's like nothing you've ever had before! Believe me!" Eilis grinned at him.

"Yeah. Dana, Isolde, Sorcha, and the others are cooking today!" Rinoa laughed mischievously.

"I thought their turn was two days ago." Negi quirked an eyebrow. "Why would they be doing that today?"

"They bet a whole week of breakfast in a game of, Rummy last night." Nessa answered, playing with her hair. Negi tensed up when her piercing eyes swiveled over to him. She reminded him so much of a certain marksman back at home. "Guess who lost?" She smirked.

"I see." Negi nodded knowingly. Their fun was stopped when one of Alice's personal bath maids tapped Negi on his shoulder. All the girls frowned and sucked their teeth because they knew what that meant. "Yes?" Negi turned his head to regard her.

"The Mistress wants to see you." She told him with a slight bow before leaving. All the girls groaned when Negi stood up from the table and tried to get him to stay but Mistress Alice was someone that couldn't be denied.

"Aw! She's always taking you for herself!" Mary said libidinously. "Don't let her wear you out too much Negi dear!"

"Oh, leave him alone, huh?" Diana shushed her friend. "He already has enough things to deal with Mary. Besides he can't always tend to you!" She teased.

_I better get out of here before they start to get rowdy. _Negi ran a hand down his face as he left the room. He went through this sort of thing everyday. The girls would try to get him to settle down and eat breakfast with them but Alice would eventually wake up and have one of her bath maids have him meet her in the bathroom. There he would tend to her back and her hair. It was a ritual that he was quite familiar with since he used to do the same with Evangeline. Negi felt a tear run down his face as he ascended the stairs and stopped for a moment to recompose himself.

"I've got to leave this place." Negi said in a whisper so no one could hear him. "I need to get back home and see the girls." Negi looked out the window to see it raining and sighed. "Today I have to tell her it's time for me to go." He proceeded to reach the top of the staircase and made a right to enter the main hall. Negi walked to the door that two servants were standing before and they allowed him to enter. A mist of steam immediately engulfed him when he walked in to the enormous bathroom. It seemed more like a resort spa to the young magi with it's ridiculous size!

"Ah, Negi!" He heard Alice call his name. There she was, relaxing in one of the many steaming spas with her hair falling over her shoulders. She was quite a beauty; there was no doubt about that. She could possibly give Mistress McVicar a run for her money.

"Good morning Mistress Dalziel." Negi greeted her. He took a seat at the ledge of the spa and looked back at her. "I was just having breakfast with the girls downstairs."

"Oh. They always want to keep you for themselves. It's only natural since you're the only male they really respect." Alice grinned as she crossed her legs under the steaming water. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Well...actually I've been doing a lot of thinking." Negi replied hesitantly. His words made the Mistress quirk a brow in curiosity. This wasn't the type of answer she was expecting. He usually had such a cheerful demeanor whenever she asked him that question.

"What seems to be on your mind?" Alice asked worriedly.

"I feel that I need to leave the clan." Negi answered. What followed after his answer was a deep silence that spoke volumes and that was enough to tell the young magi that Alice was not taking this news very well. In fact the look on her face made him feel as though she was about to burst in to tears at any given moment and that was something far more surprising for him than it probably was for her. She wasn't the type to cry nor was she the type to get emotional. She reminded him a bit of Evangeline in many ways, which was probably the reason he felt comfortable with her for so long.

"Leave the clan?" Alice blinked and snapped her finger for one of her bath maids to bring her a towel. "What would compel you to even contemplate such a thing? Why would your head be filled with such a horrible idea?" She received the towel and wrapped it around her body as she stood up from the spa tub.

"I miss my friends." Negi replied unwisely.

"Friends? We are your friends!" She snapped, narrowing her eyes. "Don't tell me that you want to go chasing some forgotten memories! It's only been a month and you want to leave us already?!" Alice stood in front of him, crossing her arms. "Look, Negi...don't leave me. You're a very important person to me."

"I need to."

"Why?"

"I have another family out there waiting for me to come back."

"We are your family." She placed a hand over his cheek to keep his eyes on her. "We're the only family you need."

"No...that's not true." Negi grabbed her hand and removed it from his face before turning away from her. "I'm sorry but I can't allow myself to be kept around here anymore or anywhere else with you for that matter."

"Negi...Dalziel. Negi Dalziel-"

"Springfield..." Negi corrected her.

"What?" A look of shock washed over her face. "What do you mean?"

"My name is Negi Springfield and that is my only name."

"Nonsense! You are Negi Dalziel and you are mine!" She reached for his shoulder but Negi slapped her hand away.

"I am not yours!" Negi snapped at her. "I already have a master! I'm...I'm sorry..."

"Who is your master?!" Alice screamed. "How could she ever amount to who I am? You tell me that!" Her words caused a deep flow of feelings to well up within Negi. He couldn't have anyone talking that way about Evangeline.

"Because you're just her shadow! That's how!" Negi yelled before he could stop himself.

"What?" Alice stepped forward forcing Negi to take a step back. "Are you serious?" A look of realization slowly crossed her face. She regarded him intensely and her lower lip trembled. "I-It all makes sense now...why you're so gifted..." Alice clutched the towel against her body and advanced on his. "You're Mistress Mcdowell's underling aren't you? I don't know how I could have missed it before! That...that puppet should have been enough proof from the very beginning! I knew it was odd for you to be so lost without it!"

"Not good." Negi turned and started pumping his legs! The Dark Mistress was infuriated by his attempt to escape and cried out, "Don't let Negi escape! Apprehend him!" As soon as she issued the order, all of the bath maids stopped what they were doing and pursued the young magi! He rammed through the bathroom door and scrambled out in to the hall for his room. "I can't leave Chacha-chan here!" He looked over his shoulder and saw a few maids on his tail already. "N-not good!" He spotted his room and preformed a shundo to close the distance in an instant. As soon as he opened the door his familiar already had her eyes on him.

"Master?!" Chachazero called his name excitedly. She saw his face covered with sweat and asked, "Why are you so flustered?"

"We're finally leaving Chacha-chan!" Negi announced much to her pleasure.

"Really?! That's the best news I've heard in a long time!" She allowed herself to be snatched up by her master and held on tight. "So what do we do?!"

"Jump out the window!" Negi answered with a grin just as the door to his room exploded in to bits and splinters.

"Stay where you are Mr. Springfield!" One of the maids ordered. "Don't do anything irrational!"

"I don't think so!" Negi cried out as he tried to jump out through the window but to his surprise he was repelled back to the floor by some unseen force. That could only mean...

"You didn't think I expected this?" Alice's voice rang sweetly as she combed through her maids to reach his door. "I placed a repelling charm on the windows just in case you ever decided to leave without my knowledge." She grinned deviously as she placed both of her hands on her hips. "Now then...give up, Negi. Take your place beside me where you belong."

"I don't belong with you." Negi retorted.

"What sort of talk is that? We're both Shinso! I don't see why not!"

"How does that suddenly make us meant for each other?!"

"I need someone with your power beside me, Negi. It's for the good of the Shinso nation!" Alice walked to him and held her hand out to him for him to take. "Please be mine..."

"...No." Negi answered but her sweet smile suddenly twisted in to an evil grin.

"Very well then...you'll soon see it my way." Alice drew her rapier from her sheath in the blink of an eye and pointed it at Negi's throat. "You're out numbered, Negi." She poked his neck a little harder. "And your home is quite far so please...be sensible..."

**_F-----------------------------------------------V--------------------------------------------------------A_**

**_Back to FVA..._**

**_"Wh-What was that?!"_** Kazumi put some distance between Evangeline, Setsuna and herself when both challengers were suddenly engulfed in an explosion! The audience had to brace themselves as the debris from the stage shot in to the air and came back down.

"Huh?!" Negi and Asuna were forced back to reality from Evangeline's resort, which had become a war zone from the epic duel that had ensued between the Undying Wizard and the white winged Crow demon. They saw Setsuna rush towards Evangeline through the smoke and debris caused from the explosion with her deck brush but before she could lay a hand on the vampiress she whipped out her Tessen and whirled around to smack Setsuna to the ground.

"Set-chan!" Konoka cried out. Before anybody else could even react the healing mage was already running to the ring with total disregard for the count. Evangeline took in a deep breath to steady herself and let it out slowly. Setsuna actually pushed her and she would honor the swordsman in that respect.

"Evangeline!" The vampiress turned her head to see Asuna glaring at her with her hands on her hips. "You're such a bully, you know that?!" With that the red-head joined her friend to tend to the fallen swordsman.

"And you?" Evangeline called to Negi when she saw him simply standing at the edge of the ring. "Are you going to berate your own master for being a "bully" as well?"

"...Of course not." Negi replied as he walked to her. He turned his head briefly to see Asuna and Konoka holding Setsuna up before looking back at Evangeline's lovely face. She was actually sweating for a change. "Are you alright Eva?" His words made Asuna's ears perk up. Why that heck was he so worried about that demon for?

Evangeline chuckled to herself at the irony of the situation and placed a hand on her forehead with a grin. "Dear me...is my disciple actually worried about me?" Evangeline mocked with a cruel laugh. "Oh boya...you manage to get some new reaction out of my all the time. So much like your father...I swear!"

"So you're not hurt at all?" Negi asked skeptically. " I mean, Setsuna really didn't hold back in that fight at all."

"Who do you take me fo-RAHG!?" Tears threatened to come out of Evangeline's eye when Negi gave her a nasty poke in the ribs. Negi jumped back when she doubled up and got down on one knee to soothe her.

"M-master! Are y-you alright?!" This time Negi was genuinely worried.

"O-oh! Now I know I'm rubbing off on you!" Evangeline smirked despite the pain she was in. "Trying to soften me up before the match, eh?!"

"No! No, it's nothing like that!" Negi assured her. "You want me to take you to the infirmary?!"

"And risk, being taken out of the tournament?! No way!" Evangeline threw a hand over his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I did this for you, idiot!"

"What do you mean?" Negi blinked.

"I've grown to respect you, boya. I didn't want to just drop out of the tournament and disrespect you." She offered him a fang grin. "I want to give you a real taste of what I'm capable of."

"U-um...you mean...your match against Setsuna..."

"I was holding back a little." Evangeline grinned. "You're in for a living hell, Negi, with love from yours truly." Her words drained the color from Negi's face. How was it that she could still be so evil and cruel to him yet affectionate at the same time?! He helped his master out of the ring, passing by Ku:Nel Sanders who had been leaning against the wall. Negi felt his hairs stand up again when he passed by the hooded challenger and stole a glance at his face but to his perturbation the man was not his father.

"I...don't understand." Negi muttered.

"You don't understand what?" Evangeline asked, allowing her entire weight to lean against him. Negi's strength was inhuman due to his vampirism so it didn't really do much.

"Just something that has been bothering me, I guess." Negi replied.

* * *

"Let's see." Hakase grinned as she tapped a few keys on her laptop. When she found what she desired she whistled to Chao and her fellow scientist joined her. "Check it out. The boards are going crazy here!" 

"Heh, I knew that Ms. Goodman would be the boost we needed." Chao smiled deviously. "Her little magic show was just what we needed to arouse the interest of those who were having second thoughts about-hmm?" Chao blinked when she saw the forum on the laptop suddenly crash. An error message came up, alerting them that the site was forbidden.

"What is this?" Hakase quirked an eyebrow. "This looks like the work of a hacker to me."

"Someone is trying to shut us down Hakase..." Chao crossed her arms. "But who would want to do that...unless Gandolfini and the others are way craftier that I believed."

"Or it could be the work of one of Negi-sensei's students." Hakase suggested. "Chisame perhaps?"

"That would be surprising but you may not be wrong." Chao nodded in agreement. "Of course that shouldn't pose much of a problem for you."

"Course not!" Hakase winked. "I'll play her game if that's what she wants."

"Very well then..." Chao turned away and headed off to make her leave. "I'm going to go check up on our intruders."

"Intruders?" Hakase raised an eyebrow curiously.

"It turns out that Takamichi was trying to make the first move against us." Chao giggled almost manically. "After his match with Negi-chan he didn't last long against Mana and I though."

* * *

"This is starting to kill me now!" Negi smiled nervously as he looked out in to the distance. Chachazero swung her legs back and forth on his lap and turned her head to look up at him before asking, "You mean your match with Eva-san?" 

"Yeah! Can you believe that she's my next opponent?!" Negi grabbed his hair and bowed his head hopelessly. "And she said she isn't going to hold back! I've tried besting her in training and she practically dances all around me!"

"Well, whatcha gonna do?" Chachazero shrugged her shoulders.

"...Fight for my life..." Negi muttered woefully. "Hmm, I wonder how Takane is doing. She must really be ruffled up after that whole accident."

"That's what she gets for wearing shadow clothing." Chachazero countered. "I mean, who does that?!" The puppet blinked a few times simply to emphasize the confusion she felt when her master looked in to the distance with wide eyes as though he had seen some ghost. She followed the line of his sight to see Ku:Nel Sanders standing before them with his usual polite smile. The only thing Chachazero could think of saying as she saw him was, "Hey! It's the pervert!"

"Ah, Chacha-kun." Albireo greeted the puppet before setting his sights back on Negi. "Hello Negi-kun."

"You..." Negi said softly. "The man who beat Kotaro. Who are you?!" Negi scooped Chachazero in to his arms and stood up quickly.

"My name is Ku:Nel Sanders." He introduced himself. "I'm pleased to meet your acquaintance and I'm also pleased to see how far you've come in the tournament. Quite a feat for a young man like yourself."

"W-wait!" Negi tried to get in a word but the hooded man shushed him.

"Make it even farther to the finals and I promise to have a reward waiting." He placed a hand on Negi's head and leaned over. The young magi's senses twinged when he felt a gradual change in the man before him. "Remember, make it to the finals and..." He lowered his lips beside Negi's ear. "And you may even get to fight me." He let go of Negi and disappeared before the young magi could even open his mouth.

"There it was again! He sounded just like father!" Negi looked around frantically to see if he could get another glimpse of him in the crowd but he completely vanished. His disappointment was short lived, however, as his ears were filled with the melodic cries of his students, Asuna, and Konoka. They came running out from the infirmary with Mei following not far behind.

"Hey Negi-kun!" Konoka called to him. "Set-chan is going to be alright!"

"I'm so relieved. "Negi said warmly.

"How about Eva?" Asuna asked, walking up to him with her arms crossed. "I'm sure she probably suffered a few injuries as well." The sarcasm was dripping from her words.

"Yeah, she did." Negi replied with a grin much to the red-head's surprise.

"W-what? You mean...huh?!"

"A few injured ribs." Negi clarified for her.

"I hear she cried a little!" Chachazero cackled.

"She did?!" Asuna's expression showed some disappointment. "Man, I wish I could've seen her face."

"N-negi!" Mei finally worked up the nerve to call to him from behind Asuna and Konoka. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something concerning the tournament." She stepped beside him and pulled him away from his students.

"What's wrong Mei?" Negi asked.

"Well," Mei leaned over to his ear. "I've just found out that there's been some sort of leak in the net about magic."

"What's wrong wi-"

"People are learning about mages sensei!" Mei cried out in panic, causing Negi to react to the news just as bad.

"R-really?! That's not good! How did this all start happening?!" Negi asked.

"Your match with Takahata-sensei is what really started to set things off." Mei answered, pulling her cellphone out of her pocket. "Check this out…" She went through a few media windows on the screen and directed them to a "Real Player" video feed. Moments later both mages were treated to a clip of Takamichi and Negi dueling each other in a ring that looked more like some war zone.

"They have videos?!"

"And they're working fast too!" Mei nodded her head in woe as she went to the next clip that played Negi's recent match with Takane.

"This is sick!"

**_"Sorry for the wait folks!"_** Negi and the others whipped their head in the arena's direction when they heard Kazumi's voice boom from the speakers lined around the grounds. **_"Match No. 13,Ku:Nel Vs. Nagase, the semi-finals is about to begin! Please take your seats…" _**

"Oh!" Negi turned away from the clip on Mei's cellphone. "I-I better head to the match!" Negi was about to make tracks but Asuna stood in his way. "Um, Asuna?! Is there something the matter?"

"Huh? Er, everything's fine! Go on!" Asuna stepped out of his way, making Negi cock his head to the side in confusion with Chachazero.

"Alright then…" Negi started off again.

"Wait Negi-sensei! I'll go with you!" Mei called to him.

"Wait Sakura-san!" Setsuna's voice startled the girls. They turned to the entrance to the infirmary to see Setsuna walking out as though her match with Evangeline never happened.

"Set-chan?!" Konoka clasped her hands together delightedly. "You're okay?!"

"Yes, ojo-sama." She answered before switching her gaze over to Mei. "I've heard all about the magic leak, Mei. I have reason to believe that Chao is behind it."

"Really?" Mei did a double take. "When did you find out?!"

"Takamichi sensei alerted me about it before he left with my alter self." Setsuna answered. Her words got Asuna's attention.

"What happened to Takahata-sensei anyway?"

"He left to go investigate Chao's activities." Setsuna turned her head away slightly before she finished, "I haven't heard from him since."

"Do you mean to say-"

"Takamichi may be in trouble." Setsuna finished for her with a nod.

* * *

"What was the matter?" Dorothy asked Chao as she entered the main observation deck.

"I was just checking on our progress with the magic leak." Chao replied as she took her place beside the Dark Mistress in front of the window. "We've also found some intruders." Chao mentioned. "We've taken care of them though."

"Intruders?" Dorothy mused, brushing a strand from her face. "So that would mean that the mages are now aware of our activities, right?"

"They've been for a while actually."

"I see…" Dorothy drank from her glass of wine. She must have already put two bottles away by herself now. "I suppose it's about time I've stretched these idle fingers. I was beginning to get bored with all the calmness up here." A mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes. "I should have entered the tournament under another alias. It would have been fun to duel with Evangel again. No matter… Negi will have his match with her soon and then the fun will begin."

"It was amazing to see, Ms. Goodman transform though." Chao giggled. "I knew that she would work to our advantage. She pushed our hand forward." Chao looked to Dorothy when she noticed that the mistress had not responded to her words. "What seems to be the matter mistress?"

"That Sanders fellow…" Her eyes followed the hooded mage as he dueled with Kaede in the ring. "I don't like how he's been making contact with the darkling. It's been somewhat harder to make a connection with Negi ever since he decided to make contact with him after the lycan's match."

"So he does seem to be making some sort of impact." Chao shook her head. "He won't do much to disrupt our plans with the media however."

"He still is quite a powerful fellow." Dorothy observed. "His aura seems to fluctuate whenever he's around Negi though. Almost as though he becomes a different person."

"Well, we'll see what he's really up to when Negi faces him." Chao said off-handedly. Personally she didn't really care how Albireo messed with the Dark Mistress' plans. As long as her plot to expose the magic world to the mundanes was a success she could care less about her. All she had to do was get through with this, sit back and allow everything to unfold.

What she didn't know, however, was that Dorothy had the same exact sentiments about her…she was expendable…

* * *

**_"High above the stage, they continue their high-speed battle!" _**Kazumi went on excitedly as the ninja and the mage went at it high above. They were moving so fast that after images were left all around the sky, allowing the audience below to see what they were doing. Kaede' shadow selves pursued Albireo and tried to lay a hand on him but he was seemingly untouchable with mere melee attack. She already captured him in a shadow cross attack but it had no effect on him!

"Nothing is indestructible…" Kaede thought grimly as she kicked off from the roof of the stands with her other shadow selves to follow the Ku:Nel in to the sky. Her graceful flight was stopped when she felt a sudden increase of gravity coming down over her. She looked up just in time to watch the hooded mage conjure up monstrous orbs of gravitational energy! Five of the dark ominous orbs moved around in a circular path over the ring before coming down with frightful speed. The ending result was a tidal wave from the water that surrounded the stage, drenching the audience.

"Hmm?" Albireo quirked a brow when he noticed Kaede waiting for him on the stage below. Apparently his attack didn't subdue the ninja. She was more clever and cunning than he expected. "A mid-air shundo?" He assumed with a polite smile. "Very impressive at your age young woman!" he applauded her. "I'm beginning to take an interest in you!"

"Until I learn what is your true purpose for being at the tournament…" Kaede dropped in to a fighting stance. "Forgive me for hanging on a little longer."

"Very well then…" Albireo floated above her and reached in to his sleeve to pull out a magical artifact. "You've left me no choice."

"A magical artifact?!" Kaede prepared herself for the worst.

"A pactio card?!" Negi gripped the rails tightly. "With whom?!"

"This isn't like me but you've forced my hand." Albireo frowned. "My apologies."

"I can't allow him to go through with this!" Kaede focused her energy and split herself in to as many shadow selves as she possibly could. They all leaped in the air after him but before they could even come close enough, Albireo activated the pactio card and a whirlwind of books surrounded him, turning and turning until the audience was dizzy. They all had names and symbols on their covers but they were moving all too fast for anybody to make out. Kaede and her shadow selves all gathered Ki in their fists and prepared to unleash a barrage on the hooded mage, however, a stunning change had taken place and the ninja felt it.

"What is going on?!" Kaede could only think before the mysterious man managed to knock all of her decoys away with one punch. Then he proceeded to whip a round at the just right moment to grab her by the throat before she could connect a kick with his back. The audience watched in silence, as both fighters remained unmoving in the sky until "Albireo" finally decided to pull the hand he held Kaede with back and come plummeting down towards the ring like a bullet! The impact caused the ring to go out in floorboards and splinters yet again which seemed to be a ritual for all the matches thus far. _(The maintenance club must really have their work cut out for them…) _

**_"Do not panic! A combat defense system has been installed for the stands just for this very reason!" _** Kazumi assured the audience over their panicked screams even though with all the debris falling she didn't feel too secure herself.

"Huh?" Negi couldn't completely fathom what was happening but he could see Kaede's silhouette through the smoke, stumbling through the ring. "S-she survived that?!" Negi's mind went wild as he searched for the mysterious mage that he could have sworn had taken the form of his father mere moments ago. "There's no mistake about it now! I still don't understand…why?!"

**_"This is amazing! Challenger Nagase still stand despite the death defying move we had just seen! Is she still willing to fight after all that?!"_** The photographer announced excitedly. **_"However could this end?!"_** Kazumi couldn't quite make out what both challengers were talking about but after a long exchange, Kaede wiped her mouth of the blood that had been trickling from her lip and turned away from Albireo.

"I understand now." The ninja reasoned with a nod. "The loss is mine."

**_"OH! Challenger Nagase throws in the towel! She's had better days, I'd say! Challenger Ku:Nel's advancement to the Finals is a given!"_** Kazumi finally walked in to the stage. **_"Next is the match that decides who will be the one to face the finalist!"_**

"That you Negi." Ku-Fei tapped Negi who had been staring off at Albireo since the match had been declared over. "Negi? You okay?"

* * *

"Well then. Now the time has finally come!" Dorothy cried out excitedly. "The match between the master and her disciple has finally come!"

"You seem very excited mistress."

"That I am." Dorothy grinned.

* * *

"Excuse me, Mcdowell?" The vampires turned away from the window in her infirmary room when the nurse called her.

"What?" Evangeline asked.

"Your match is next."

"Oh…" Evangeline smirked. "I see."

* * *

"It looks bad doesn't it?" Gandolfini looked over Seruhiko and Akashi's shoulder as they accessed the viral marketing mainstream. It appeared that Chao and Hakase were already spreading information through viral data means as well.

"This is Chao's work." Seruhiko declared. 'There is no doubt about that."

"I'll inform the headmaster then." Shizuna alerted them before taking her leave.

"Very well." Gandolfini confirmed with her before turning back to the other professors. "Where is Takamichi?!"

"I haven't been able to get a hold of him." Akashi replied. "You don't think he's in trouble do you?"

"Nah!" Seruhiko waved his hand casually. "I'm sure Takahata-sensei has everything under control!"

"Negi-kun is done with pre-match meditation?" Ku-Fei opened the door to the challenger waiting room.

"Yes…" Negi replied.

"Ring is done with repairs! Match will start now!"

"Yes, Master Ku."

* * *

Asuna picked up a box of cigarettes that she stumbled across on her travels through the sewers with the other girls. The squad was made up of Setsuna, Mei, Takane, Misora and Kokone. The read-head caught the nuns as they tried to sneak in to the tournament for a glimpse of Negi and Takane somehow managed to follow them without their knowledge. The shadow user seemed to be stable but after being stripped twice at the tournament, Asuna wasn't sure if she was going to be of any help. Mei on the other hand looked up to her superior as though nothing could stop her.

"What is it?" Setsuna asked Asuna when she stopped.

"These are Takamichi's…I know they are." Asuna said, examining the box. "That's it! They have him!"

"I dunno…" Misora sounded unsure. "Plenty of people smoke those type of cigarettes."

"Look Misora!" Asuna growled.

"Misora?!" The nun played stupid. "Who is this Misora you speak of?!"

"Shh!" Setsuna suddenly silenced them. "There's something coming from the darkness." Her right hand twitched for the sword at her waist. "Be alert."

"You sense them too?" Takane whipped out her wand and Mei got in position with her broom.

"Alright, I see em'!" Asuna whipped out her tessen as well.

"Then let's rock!"

* * *

**_"Sorry for the stage repair downtime again, folks!" _**Kazumi apologized as Negi and Evangeline walked the path toward the stage. **_"It's the second math of the semi-finals and that means we're closer to finding the winner!" _**

"Hey boya!" Evangeline called to Negi as they walked side by side.

"Y-yes Eva?" Negi asked nervously.

"Don't fall in to pieces yet! The match hasn't even started!"

"Y-yes master."

**_"And now the super powerful child teacher, Negi Springfield Vs. the doll-like yet dangerous, Evangeline McDowell! The winner of the match will move on that much closer to the finals! The peak of tournaments of all tournaments: The Mahora Budokai!" _**

"What is matter with Negi-kun? He stiff as a board!" Ku-Fei commented as Evangeline and Negi took their places across from each other on that stage. "He in no condition to fight Eva-san like that!"

"I agree." Kaede nodded, scratching her chin. "He'll surely lose at this rate."

"Let's go master Negi!" Chachazero cheered him on from Ku-Fei's shoulder.

**_"This is at last, the semi-finals! Ladies and gentleman. I bring you match No. 14!"_**

"Let's get this duel underway, eh?" Evangeline smirked as she snapped her tessen closed. "I will immerse you in a nightmare beyond your wildest dreams Negi." She narrowed her eyes imperceptibly with her usual evil smirk. "Are you ready for this one dear fledgling?"

_"Mea Virga!"_ Negi chanted, holding his hand up in the air. Ku-Fei and Kaede moved out the way as his staff shot forward to be grasped in his hand. The young magi got in to a fighting stance with his staff and replied, "I'm ready master." He could hear the dark voice from before slowly invading again.

**_If you want to face your master than you must not hold back! She won't do the same for you!_**

**_"MATCH NO. 14!"_**

_Evangeline licked her lips hungrily and Negi's eyes burned darkly…_

**_"READY?!"_**

_The stage was set…_

**_"SET?!"_**

_And not a soul could ever be prepared for the battle the would ensue…_

**_"FIGHT!"_**

**_To Be Continued…._**

* * *

_My fingers are never going to forgive me for writing this match..._


	20. If Evangeline had a battle theme

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters…

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Twenty: Endearing Darkness_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

**_"Sorry for the stage repair downtime again, folks!" _**Kazumi apologized as Negi and Evangeline walked the path toward the stage. **_"It's the second match of the semi-finals and that means we're closer to finding the winner!" _**

"Hey boya!" Evangeline called to Negi as they walked side by side.

"Y-yes Eva?" Negi asked nervously.

"Don't fall in to pieces yet! The match hasn't even started!"

"Y-yes master."

**_"And now the super powerful child teacher, Negi Springfield Vs. the doll-like yet dangerous, Evangeline McDowell! The winner of the match will move on that much closer to the finals! The peak of tournaments of all tournaments: The Mahora Budokai!" _**

"What is matter with Negi-kun? He stiff as a board!" Ku-Fei commented as Evangeline and Negi took their places across from each other on that stage. "He in no condition to fight Eva-san like that!"

"I agree." Kaede nodded, scratching her chin. "He'll surely lose at this rate."

"Let's go master Negi!" Chachazero cheered him on from Ku-Fei's shoulder.

**_"This is at last, the semi-finals! Ladies and gentleman. I bring you match No. 14!"_**

"Let's get this duel underway, eh?" Evangeline smirked as she snapped her tessen closed. "I will immerse you in a nightmare beyond your wildest dreams, Negi." She narrowed her eyes imperceptibly with her usual evil smirk. "Are you ready for this one dear fledgling?"

_"Mea Virga!"_ Negi chanted, holding his hand up in the air. Ku-Fei and Kaede moved out the way as his staff shot forward to be grasped in his hand. The young magi got in to a fighting stance with his staff and replied, "I'm ready master." He could hear the dark voice from before slowly invading again.

**_If you want to face your master than you must not hold back! She won't do the same for you!_**

**_"MATCH NO. 14!"_** Kazumi cried out, taking a few steps away from the center of the ring. **_"READY?!"_**

_The audience started to get restless under all the anticipation..._

**_"SET?!"_**

* * *

"This is unreal..." Chao felt herself trembling as she watched Negi and Evangeline stare at each other on the stage below. "Mistress...do you seriously believe that it's a good idea to push Negi through the limit?" 

"The darkling isn't nearly as powerful as he will be in my time at the present." Dorothy replied, her eyes burning as she awakened her influence within Negi. "I wish to see how the fledgling will stand up against his master. He just may be able to weaken her for me."

"Excuse me?" Chao was in complete disbelief. "H-how is that even possible? Evangeline outclasses any wizard I've ever read about and she's one of the elder class Mistresses! How could Negi-chan, an unawakened fledgling even compare?!" This was the first time Dorothy had ever seen the scientist lose her cool.

"That is the unsolved mystery..." Dorothy explained. "That is why I am curious about this match."

* * *

**_"FIGHT!"_** Kazumi finally started the match. The audience was confused when the two challengers were suddenly gone in the blink of an eye! Kaede and Ku-Fei tried hard to get a glimpse of them in the sky to see if they already kicked the fight in to overdrive but there wasn't even a sign of a battle. 

"Where they go?" Ku-Fei asked Kaede. "You see them anywhere?"

"I feel them but I don't see them anywhere." Kaede crossed her arms. "I've heard of God-like speed from many legendary masters of the arts. Such a speed is so fast that the fighters tend to become the wind itself; they enter a dimension far beyond the limits of the body." Kaede furrowed her brows. "Eva-san may be capable of such a level of speed but Negi...how far could he have possibly gotten since our trip to Kyoto?"

**_"Where are the challengers?!" _**Kazumi cried out in bewilderment. **_"I've seen bizarre things throughout the duration of this tournament but this has to be the most farfetched thing I've ever seen! Do I start the count out?"_** The photographer turned to Chachamaru and her partner to get an answer. When they nodded, Kazumi turned back to the ring and started, **_"ONE...TWO...THREE...FOUR...FIVE..."_**

"This is unbelievable." Chisame grumbled, watching the empty ring from the stands. She was beside the commentary table with her laptop in hand. "For a semi-final match this is really a let down." Chisame grit her teeth when Kazumi reached "Eight". "What sort of dirty trick is thi-"

_Negi whirled his staff in his hand to gain some momentum as he whipped around to face Evangeline and brought it down upon her but she dodged swiftly and tried to catch his chin with a rising slash from her tessen. Surprisingly enough, Negi was able to react just in time and-_

**_BOOM!_**

The entire audience felt as though a bomb was dropped in the middle of the arena when the stage was completely split in half! It looked as though a thunderbolt had just struck from out of nowhere but the skies were completely clear. Kazumi almost had a coronary from the unexpected explosion and staggered over to a safe distance with Sayo to steady her thoughts.

**_"Wha-"_**

_Evangeline jumped back when Negi shoved her away with his staff's assistance and lunged forward towards him. He slashed at her again with his staff only to offer her a foot stool since she jumped on to it's tip at a precise moment and used it to run up to his arm before jumping off to land behind him. Negi tried to turn around in time to block another slash from the vampiress, however, he sensed that he wouldn't make it in time so he bent backwards until the tip of his staff made contact with the floor and managed to deflect her attack. Evangeline nodded at his cleverness as he flipped back on to his feet before attempting to stab at her with the end of the staff but the result ended in his attack being stopped when the tip of his staff connected with the side of her steel fan-_

**_BOOM!_**

The stage was struck by another lightning bolt before Kazumi could even get a word out of her mouth. This time the photographer decided to take her place at ringside where she wouldn't be close to the source of the sudden explosions. **_"I'm just as startled as you all probably are, folks! I'm not sure if these sudden explosions are being caused by the challengers but it could be possible! We've seen various forms of combat in this tournament today-HUH?!"_** Kazumi blinked when there was a sudden crash near the corner of the stage. She saw Negi pull himself out of the crater that was caused by his mysterious crash and get in to a defensive position with his staff. **_"W-We finally see one challenger and judging from the way he looks there may have been some combat after all but where is challenger McDowell?!"_**

"She's coming!" Kazumi heard Negi growl. Not even a second later, Evangeline suddenly appeared behind Negi performing a spinning kick in mid-air. Negi couldn't turn fast enough, receiving a kick to the back that sent him skidding to the other side of the ring but he pushed off the floor with the end of his staff to flip and landed on his feet. Then he ran to Evangeline, spinning his staff to gain some momentum and slashed at her! Evangeline blocked with her tessen much to Negi's shock and lunged forward with a palm to the face!

"Down already?" Evangeline taunted, standing over Negi. "If you think this is going to get easier by showing weakness then you're dreaming." Evangeline raised her tessen over her head as a demented smile crossed her lips. "It's only gonna get harder!" She brought the steel fan down with frightening force but Negi managed to block with his staff. The result was the floor caving in under the young magi but he managed to phase out of existence in time to avoid the full force of his master's attack. He tried surprising her from behind but she merely caught him in the face with an elbow the very moment he materialized behind her.

Evangeline ducked under a slash from him when he recovered and twirled in the air to land on his left side when he brought his staff crashing down on the spot that she was standing. His head whipped toward her as the floor boards exploded in splinters under the force of his attack and he twirled his staff behind his back to transfer it from his left hand to his right had in time to block her surprise attack. They grappled weapons against each other until their hands were trembling from the force they were challenging one another with.

The vampiress jabbed him in the face, sending him staggering backwards and followed up with a shot to the mid-section but Negi veered her attack to the side with a quick defensive stance from his staff. He countered with a floor sweep, which Evangeline leaped over with cat-like swiftness. She pulled her hand back and sent her fan flying right at the young magi but he rolled under her just before she landed back on the ground in a desperate maneuver and avoided the attack just barely. Evangeline snatched her fan up from the ground, whipping around to block an overhead slash from Negi just after he got back to his feet and back handed him. The force of her attack almost sent him sprawling to the floor.

"Hyaa!" Negi recovered from the blow quickly and slashed at Evangeline only to find his staff completely cut right through her, which could only mean trouble. "A fake?!" Were Negi's last words before he coughed out all the fluids in his mouth! Evangeline kneed him in the back, forcing his body in to the air and teleported over him to take him back down with an axe-kick. She smirked when Negi disappeared before she could finish her chain, however. Negi's next attack came from the side as he attempted to uppercut her with his staff but the attack fell short when Evangeline stopped the staff with her bare hand.

"Don't rely on your father's help!" She grinned before snatching the staff out of his hand.

"What?!" Negi felt naked without his staff as she pulled back her hand and sent the staff plunging in to the water surrounding the stage like a javelin! She then proceeded to grab him by the throat and came down upon the ring with a brutal choke slam. The air was completely taken away from Negi but the young magi blasted her away from him with two quick shots from his hand. Evangeline jumped back to put a little distance between herself and her disciple as he kept up the wave of saggita shots, smacking each one away before getting tired of it and kicking one right back at him. Negi was taken by surprise with the change in tactic, finding himself flying backwards after being struck by his own attack.

"Learn to fight quickly boya!" Evangeline scolded him. "Your opponent will read you easier if you continue using the same attack!" She tossed her tessen to the side and dropped in to a fighting stance. "Get up!"

"Y-yes." Negi coughed, holding his stomach as he got back to his feet. He was forced to defend himself when Evangeline came at him without warning, Negi blocked two jabs from her and ducked under a kick before retaliating with a spinning backhand which Evangeline blocked before taking his feet off the ground with a leg sweep. Negi didn't even reach the floor when the vampiress followed up with a knee to the mid section to keep him air borne. She continued her ruthless attack with a barrage of jabs to the stomach that were completely invisible to the untrained eyes before charging a dark arrow in her hand. Negi's eyes went wide with horror when she unleashed it upon him at point blank, launching him to the wall awaiting him on the other side.

"Ha, ha!" Evangeline cried out menacingly as she kicked forward on one foot to send herself flying after her disciple. Negi saw her coming at him and kicked off on the wall as soon as he made contact with it to send himself coming right back at her! He charged light energy in to both of his hands as he came right at her and unleashed both waves but she did a mid-air shundo and ripped right through the waves of pulsing light to close line him! He ducked in time to avoid being hit and twirled around to blast her as she passed him but apparently she wasn't done with him; grabbing him by the arm to throw him back at the wall again! As soon as he crashed in to the wall she forced him in to a crater by doing a wall-kick, using his body and landing in front of him. "You're lagging boya."

"No...I'm not!" Negi broke free of his stone prison and grabbed his master around her waist before performing a shundo! He went flying like a bullet to the opposite wall and managed to send her crashing in to it! "There..." He grunted in satisfaction as he kicked back on his foot to land in the ring. He doubled up to catch his breath, stealing a glance at Evangeline to see if she would make a move but she stayed lodged in the wall.

**_"After a grueling battle, challenger Negi is able to retaliate against the ruthless challenger McDowell! Is it over?!"_**Kazumi announced in a shaky voice. Even she knew that this wasn't over. There was something in the back of her mind telling her that this was simply the calm before the storm or a level five hurricane in Evangeline's case.

_Congrats!_ Negi heard Evangeline's voice in his mind. _Now we can have some real fun! I can't tell you how long it's been since I've really let loose! _As soon as she was finished, Negi saw her eyes snap open and both of his arms were bound together by some unseen, dark threads. Kazumi watched in horror as the young magi was lifted in to the air by his hands, hanging like some life-sized puppet.

"W-what's going on?!" Negi cried out. _This is exactly what happened to Setsuna during her match with Eva! Where are these threads coming from?!_ Negi grimaced when he master broke free from the wall and floated towards the ring gracefully. She licked her lip since Negi managed to make her bleed and smiled. It wasn't exactly a demented smile nor was it a smile of kindness but it sure did well to make Negi feel shivers.

"Feeling helpless?" Evangeline asked, walking around him. "You know...only one person was ever able to break free of my strings. See, I'm not called the puppet master simply because I'm able to give a "Half-life" to dolls." Evangeline clenched her right hand in to a fist and Negi squeezed his eyes shut at how the invisible threads tightened around his skin. They were threatening to slice into the flesh of his arms. "I'm called that because any living soul can be my play thing if I choose."

"So is...that what this is about?" Negi's consciousness was gradually breaking free from Dorothy's influence. The dark glow in his eyes was slowly beginning to fade. "I'm your play thing?!"

"No." Evangeline smirked. "You're my, Negi." She finally stopped in front of him and stared in to his eyes. "You're my flame in the darkness and I feel that for all you've shown me, I must reward you."

"All I've shown you?" Negi felt confused. "What have I shown you?"

"That I'm not a monster." Evangeline answered him before widening her eyes. Her gaze pierced Negi's souls as he found himself getting lost in pools of emerald green. His body felt lighter and the threads around his arms felt as though they were melting away. The entire arena melted in to the inviting darkness that pulled him in and Evangeline was the only thing he could focus on. "You must feel restricted every time you're around your students and the people around you. Believe me, I know. I see you embracing the gift that I've given you and it fills me with pride to see you grow and develop in to something I can call my own."

"Why...are you saying all these things Eva?" Negi asked as he landed lightly on his feet in the darkness. He could hear the soothing sound of waves rolling along the shore of a beach in the distance.

"Heh...still dense as ever." Evangeline chuckled to herself, however, it sounded more melancholy than amused. "I'll have you understand one day, Negi." She snapped her fingers and the darkness dissipated to reveal her resort. To Negi's surprise it didn't show any signs of the destruction that had taken place when she brought Setsuna there during the match. He felt a strange sensation running through his body and shook his legs when they gradually felt lighter.

"W-what's going on?" Negi asked.

"When the master let's go of all restrictions, the fledgling will come to feel it and be filled with an unexplainable sense of joy." Evangeline crossed her arms and started levitating. "You and I are bonded Negi so when I let go of everything that holds me back you receive some of my power."

"Meaning?" Negi didn't like where this was going.

"Since the curse has no restrictions on me in this dimension I'm able to tap in to my full power." Her hair flowed around her as the sand beneath her started to rise. "As I said before, this is my reward to you! In this realm we are both free so prepare yourself! You will face me at a level that I only allow those I deem worthy to see!"

"Oh...dear..." Negi's went wide in horror as he got in to a fighting stance. Only someone as twisted as Evangeline could consider this a reward! He braced himself when the vampiress unleashed a wave of energy from her body and took on her older form. The devious grin that crossed her lips made her look like some majestic demoness. The sky in the resort darkened until the full moon and stars were their only source of light and a large flock of bats flew to her and materialized in to her vampiric mantle.

"I've always believed in presentation." She giggled in her sultry voice before pointing a finger at him. Negi's mage cloak disappeared and he was surrounded by a flock of bats. He was given a dark mantle as well and he felt his fangs tingling. The band that he kept in his hair unraveled, allowing his hair to fall so that he was an exact mirror of Nagi. "Well then, Negi...shall we duel in the moonlight like true vampires?" She held her hand over her head and gathered energy until she had a pulsing orb of chilling darkness, hundreds of times her size ready to be hurled at the young magi.

"Oh my..."

_She hurled it..._

"GAWD!" Negi took off without a second thought and picked up as much altitude as he possibly could to avoid being sucked in to the explosion. He looked down to see that the entire area they had been occupying was turned in to a winterland nightmare. Evangeline looked up at him with a chilling smirk and took flight after him! Negi did the first thing that would come to any sensible being's mind and tried to put as much distance as he possibly could between them!

"Flying away?!" Evangeline quipped menacingly as she gathered more chilling darkness in to her hands. "More fun for me!" She let a spell rip in Negi's direction and missed purposely so that it whizzed mere inches away from his face! Negi felt the right side of his head and felt his hairs standing up like the bristles of a broom. He knew she was playing with him because she would have gotten him dead on if she was serious!

"I've got to make a move!" He growled before making a nosedive. Evangeline followed him and shot a few more chilling blasts in his direction. He felt his muscles tighten with each chilling wave of magic that she sent flying past him and tried to pull up before he hit the thick sheet of ice waiting for him below but the result was inevitable. He crashed to the ground and slid until he came to a stop, scrambling quickly to get to his feet. "Where is she going?!" He questioned nervously when the Dark Mistress flew in to the distance.

"Oh no!" He saw her turn to come his way, picking up unbelievable speed and heard the crack of the sound barrier just before she flew right past him! His head felt as though it was being sucked in to an invisible drain and the gravity had completely dropped as the blood from his nose floated upwards in small bubbles before his very eyes. It all seemed like slow motion to him before his entire being was pulled in to the air by the sonic boom that Evangeline caused. Negi would have screamed if his lungs allowed him to. All that came out was a silent scream that only the young magi could hear within his racing mind.

"Why are you allowing yourself to be thrown around?!" Evangeline scolded as she did a summersault maneuver to come back in his direction. Negi's mind finally registered everything that was going on and he managed to turn his head to see Evangeline coming his way even faster than before. He prepared for her to pass over and at the last moment he reached out and grabbed a hold of her mantle as it whizzed by his head. "Hmm?" Evangeline turned her head in boredom to see her underling holding on for dear life. "Well that's one way..." She mumbled before a grin crossed her lovely lips. She twirled a few times in the air and did a summersault-nosedive combination that sent Negi's head spinning!

"Ahh!" Negi lost his grip on her cloak when she pulled up from the ground at the last moment, sending him crashing in to the sand! He used his vampiric reflexes to roll as soon as he made contact with the ground and got on one knee to reorient himself. He felt the bile and vomit threatening to rise up out of his throat but he managed to settle his stomach. "Urgh...she's going to kill me." He muttered miserably before his senses went screaming. He looked up to see her hovering still with her hands crackling with dark energy.

_I better run!_ Negi thought desperately, turning on his heel to make tracks. Evangeline saw her dear disciple making his move and started using him as target practice! Negi felt his legs wobble when one of her shots made impact right behind him! He looked over his shoulder to see another incoming sub-zero blast and performed a shundo to avoid the spell. A few more blasts zeroed down and formed a circle of explosions around him.

"You better run faster than that!" The Dark Mistress laughed gleefully, sending a few spell at a time. Negi threw himself to the ground, allowing one to fly over his head and got back to his feet to perfrom another shundo in time to avoid another shot. He finally grew tired of running and whipped around to retaliate. He saw a blast nearing his position and charged his fist with light energy; unleashing everything he possbily could upon the blast in an attempt to stop it.

"Oh?" Evangeline crossed her arms with a curious smirk when he managed to send the blast in another direction. "Let's see then..." She held both her arms out and gathered a few dark arrows. "Let's see how he fairs against these!" She sent all of them after Negi and to her pleasure the young magi didn't run. "How bold." She purred.

"Come on..." Negi growled as the arrows zeroed in on him. "Eva did it so you can do it too!" He willed himself. _But you forget that your power is nothing in compare to her awesome abilities! This is suicide! _The sensible part of him screamed bloody murder._ Well, you don't know until you try._ Negi's daring side told him. It was a shame that the latter voice didn't sound so sure of itself.

"W-whatever." Negi shrugged his shoulders before pulling his right fist back in preparation to start deflecting the barrage. As soon as they were within reach he started smacking each and every arrow to the side until there were no more left. He panted heavily as his fists sizzled from his desperate tactic but he couldn't help but grin with pride. "HA!" He taunted Evangeline, pumping one fist in the air.

"Indeed." Evangeline applauded him. "Now that I see you're up to it..." Evangeline held both of her hands over her head and gathered more energy. "Let's get down to business!" Not a moment later, a blade of darkness materialized and she held the hilt of the blade with both hands. "HYAA!" She came down upon him with her blade poised to strike!

"AHHH!" Negi screamed fearfully. He held both of his hands before him and a barrier of light stopped Evangeline's blade.

"Still using those pathetic light spells, hmm?!" Evangeline grunted, bringing the sword back for another slash. She slammed the blade against Negi's barrier again and the young magi felt it weakening. Her next slash would cut right through it for sure! She pulled back and slashed again but Negi rolled under her attack to close the distance between them and went in for a punch to the gut. He didn't rely upon her cat-like reflexes, however, as she turned her hands so that she could jab him in the face with the hilt of the blade. Negi staggered back, holding his nose in pain but his reflexes kicked in when he saw his master slash at him again. This time he enriched his left hand with energy to block the blade! The pressure started to build as they challenged their strength against each other and the sand beneath them gradually compressed in to a crater.

"We can keep this up forever!" Evangeline grinned, leaning forward. She placed more strength against the young magi and forced him to get down one knee. "Feeling weak? You're seriously beginning to disappoint me Negi." Her last words actually sounded like genuine disappointment indeed. Naturally, Negi couldn't help but feel as though he was committing a crime for not meeting her standards...such is life...

"I only aim to please!" Negi yelled before letting go to roll aside. Her blade sliced in to the sand and Negi used that moment to bring her down, courtesy of a well-timed leg sweep. For once Evangeline found herself caught by surprise! When she was on the ground he stood over her fallen form and raised a powered fist to strike her but before he could hit her she caught his fist in one hand and kicked him away with her foot. He was thrown back a few feet and the mistress kicked her legs over her head before jerking them forward, pushing off on both of her hands to land back on her feet. She performed a shundo to attack Negi but he took off at that very moment to avoid it! The chase was on as Evangeline came up after him again but he did a summersault maneuver to get behind her and began wailing on her with light arrows!

"So now I'm the hunted?" Evangeline mocked before coming back his way with a spinning roundhouse that deflected his arrows. Negi dodged the arrows she sent back and flew away again. He saw one of the resort towers in the distance and flew around to the opposite side to take cover from the vampiress. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath but a moment later the wall against his back exploded and Evangeline slammed right in to him! She grabbed him by the back of his head and threw him in to another tower but Negi stopped her courtesy flight by kicking against the incoming wall of the tower hard to send himself back in her direction. He tried to elbow her but she flew to the side and went in for a kick. Negi caught her leg and swung her away but she stopped herself in mid-air without any assistance and preformed a mid-air shundo to rush him.

"I anticipated that!" Negi cried out, dodging to the side and clutching her cloak with both hands. "Hyaaa!" He swung her around by her cloak in two full rotations before sending her flying in to the large body of water below. He grunted in satisfaction when she slammed right through the water and waited to see if she would come up but there was nothing but silence until he saw a purple glow of light radiate from underwater.

"What's that?" He freaked when a monstrous stalagmite of ice came rushing up in his direction! He dodged the unexpected attack just barely and watched with horror as it crashed through one of the resort towers that were behind him. Suddenly the whole body of water below became completely frozen and countless, piercing stalagmites came after him! He did a nose dive for the frozen lake, maneuvering around the frightening spears of ice that stabbed at him until he miscalculated the distance between him and another stalagmite and found himself in a world of pain as the jagged edge ripped through his side! He was disorientated by the hit and found himself losing control over his flying course. Before long he landed on a stalagmite and slid down to the frozen lake at a frightening speed.

"AH!" Negi flinched when the frozen path behind him ripped open with deadly spikes. He kicked his legs on to the stalagmite to slow down his descent and scrambled to his feet to run the rest of the way down. More deadly stalagmites burst forth from the frozen lake below and zeroed in on him but he slid on his knees and bent back until the back of his head was skidding along the frozen surface of the stalagmite he was on. The rushing pillars of ice passed over his chin by mere inches and the young magi found himself in a tight spot. He shifted his position to slide to the right and waited until he was about toward the edge before kicking on the side of the stalagmite to send him crashing in to another nearby.

"There she is!" When he was near the surface of the lake he charged his energy in to one hand and punched right through the frozen surface! Shards of ice rushed through his face leaving a cut on his forehead and he fell through a series of dark tunnels until he hit a cold floor. His head was still spinning from the unpleasant ride on the way down.

"You made it!" Evangeline said with a smirk. Her eyes gleamed in the darkness as she approached him.

"Ugh..." Negi pushed his palms against the floor to get back to his feet and staggered to the side as he fought to get a grip on what was going on. "Y-you...almost killed me!" He yelled.

"That's the least of your problems right now!" Evangeline cried out before charging at him. Negi tried to side step her but she surprised him with a leg sweep, taking him down to the floor again. Negi was quick to react, kicking his legs back before jerking forward to land back on to his feet and doing a twirl in the air to prepare a tornado kick. He brought both of his legs down upon Evangeline with swiftness but her body dispersed in to a flock of bats before he could land a hit on her and she appeared behind him to send him crashing in to the ceiling with a powerful kick to the back. Negi wall kicked the ceiling on impact to send him flying right back towards Evangeline and took her down to the ground with him.

"Well..." Evangeline grinned as she looked back in to Negi's eyes. Her eyes swiveled over to both of her wrists, which were firmly pinned to the floor by Negi's hands before returning to the young magi's face. "You sure are a wild beast."

"S-stop teasing already..." Negi muttered. His mind was searching for the next move but he found it hard to think while he stared in to his master's brilliant eyes. "Uh...darn..." Something in the back of his mind was keeping him from striking her.

"Why are you hesitating?" Evangeline asked. "Do something!"

"Like what?!"

"Don't ask me!" She scolded him before kicking him off of her. When he landed she went in for a palm shot to the face but Negi dodged to the side and tried to lure her in with a spinning backhand. She ducked under it quickly and grabbed him by the wrist to flip him over on to his back but he took that moment to try and connect an elbow thrust to her side. Negi's eyes went wide with surprise when she twisted his arm, disabling him in the process and countered with an elbow to his side instead. He was already hurting from the stalagmite that grazed his side earlier so the pain was simply unbearable. He staggered away from Evangeline quickly and tried to get in to a fighting stance but his body was finally shutting down.

"Look at you..." Evangeline scowled as she glared at Negi. "Your eyes aren't even in focus."

"T-that's nothing." Negi muttered before shooting a light arrow at her but his was so poor that she merely watched it as it whizzed by her. The young magi blinked as he realized how embarrassing that was and turned away in frustration.

"You're breaking my heart." The vampiress growled. She grabbed him by the shoulder roughly and turned him to face her before delivering a resounding smack to his face. Negi didn't react to her smack since he was already on the verge of losing consciousness. "What am I..." **_SMACK _**"To think..." **_SMACK _**"When you're facing me this way, huh?!"

"Eva-"

"Don't speak." Evangeline cut him off softly. "If you're near your end then at least go out with style."

"At my end?" Negi's eyes finally regained their focus and he smacked her hand away. "Not now!" He yelled before he swung at her with all his might but he found his desperation at it's end when his fist was blocked by an invisible barrier. The force he channeled through his fist crackled violently against Evangeline's barrier but it did nothing to affect it.

"No fair!" Negi growled as he tried with all his might to penetrate the barrier with his hands but it was no use.

"There you go with your whining!" Evangeline frowned, charging another sub-zero shot in her left hand. "Be a man about it!" She yelled, unleashing the blast upon her underling. Up on the surface it was deathly quiet until Negi's body crashed right through it and continued his ascent in to the sky with Evangeline following not far behind. She summoned a dark web of threads to capture him and the young magi was bound in mid-air like a fly. He let his head fall forward in defeat and closed his eyes.

"You did well." Evangeline praised him. "But you still have a long way to go-huh?" She saw both his eyes snap open without warning and he broke free of the dark threads with a battle cry. "You seriously broke free? I've underestimated you!"

"Take this!" Negi yelled fiercely. His right hand trembled as he gathered magic before he sent a spear-like shot in her direction. Evangeline'e eyes went wide with surprise before she phased out of existence to avoid being hit by the deadly attack. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before...unless...

"Twilight magic?" Evangeline managed to get out before she was forced to dodge another twilight spear! Negi's shirt was completely left in shreds, leaving only his vampiric cloak when his aura began to fluctuate with the energy that was crackling in his hands. He looked up at Evangeline with his left eye burning crimson and slammed both of his plams together before shooting another one of his deadly twilight spears. "You silly boy!" Evangeline cackled. "I don't know how you're able to conjure such a spell but this still is nothing!" She proved her words when she stopped the spear with both hands and veered it to the side. The spear obliterated the top half of a tower behind her leaving it in shambles.

_To Shumbolion Diakonoto Moi Hei Krystaline Bashleia Evigenato Taionion Elebos Haionie Krystale Versais Zoice Ton Ison Tanaton Hos Ataksia..._ Evangeline concentrated as she prepared to end the duel. Negi finally came back to his senses when he felt the ominous power rising within Evangeline.

"Is that what...I think it is?!" Negi thought aloud. A violent storm suddenly kicked up within the resort and Negi's mind started racing. If he was going to dodge this he was going to have to reach his master before she unleashed the spell. All the power that he felt from before was gradually leaving him but he figured he could still make use of it somehow!

"It was a pleasure." Evangeline cooed before unleashing her terrible spell. Negi came at her like a speeding bullet at the very moment the spell took effect and unleashed a twilight spear using his very own body as the attack. The maneuver was unexpected by the vampiress and before anybody could react-

**_"What is going on?!"_** Kazumi cried out. A minute passed and both challengers had not made a move. **_"They're just staring at each othe-"_** She couldn't finish as both fighters were suddenly engulfed in a titanic explosion that activated the self-defense systems of the arena. The crackling energy that radiated from the mysterious explosion seared against the barriers but it eventually dissipated, leaving the ring in shambles. In the middle of it all Negi and Evangeline stood facing each other until the young magi fell to his knees.

**_"W-what...a...thrilling conclusion to the...match..."_** The photographer was scared to enter the limits of what was the ring moments ago. **_"It is...over...right?"_** Negi had not exactly fallen to the ground completely to she couldn't start to count down just yet. Evangeline was completely drenched in sweat with a satisfied smile on her face and Negi looked up at her doing the same. Kazumi wasn't sure what had happened but the scene was quite bizarre.

"D-did...I do good?" Negi asked almost on the verge of wheezing his words.

"Oh, you did well alright." Evangeline praised him. "You've become a fine fighter, Negi. You actually managed to fight me to the very end." Evangeline crossed her arms and ordered, "Now get up."

"Wha..." Negi almost fainted. "What?"

"Get up!" Evangeline yelled the second time.

"W-why?!" Negi groaned. "I can't go on!"

"Those aren't the words of a winner..." Evangeline quirked an eyebrow.

"E...excuse me?" Negi blinked, wobbling to his feet. "Me? Me, a winner?"

"That's right." Evangeline nodded.

"I...I don't understand..." Negi's hands began to tremble. "You won! You're not even tired!"

"Shut up, will you?" Evangeline snapped. "Look...Negi, the last thing I need is to be the winner of some tournament. This..." Evangeline gestured to entire arena. "Means nothing to me. The only thing I got out of participating was to see you rise against the odds and I'm satisfied with what I've seen..." She offered him a fanged grin. "...for now." She walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Of course, you may have "Won" the match but you and I know what would have really happened if I was serious."

"You mean..." Negi trailed off in a quiver.

"Are you dense?!" Evangeline chuckled. "You wouldn't have lasted a minute if I really intended to kill you!" Evangeline wiped a tear in her right eye and patted his shoulder amusingly. "Such an idiot sometimes. I swear! If you really want to fight me at full strength then keep on training until you reach my level."

"Um...so that means-"

"You and me have a date on the last day." Evangeline finished for him as she let go of his shoulder and walked past him. "And the price for weasling out on me is your life!" She shouted back at him.

**_"M-McDowell? Where are you going?!"_** Kazumi asked in puzzlement.

"I'm forfeiting." Evangeline answered casually. " What does it look like?" With that she left the ring and took her leave.

**_"Oooooookaaaay." _**Kazumi droned in confusion before turning to look at Negi who looked as though his world had practically ended...which it almost sort of did but no one else knew that but him.**_ "Er, Ch-challenger Negi Springfield is the WINNAH!"_** The young magi waved weakly at his new fans as they cheered for him. What he didn't know was that his entire situation with his father had been revealed during his match with Evangeline and that was the actual reason he was getting so much love from the crowd. If it was based on performance they would have cheered for Evangeline all the way.

"What you think Kaede-san?" Ku-Fei asked her friend with her arms crossed. "What you think happen between them?"

"Something epic." Kaede answered with a nod. "I only wish this realm was stable enough to handle the level of their actual duel." The ninja looked to Albireo who had been watching from ringside intently the entire time as though he had been in some sort of trance. Something told her that the hooded mage had sensed everything that went on somehow.

_"Well then Negi...there is quite a bit to you then you seem to let up. I'm sure your father would be proud."_ Albireo mused._ "Now let us see how you fair against him.."_

**_"Um..." _**Kazumi turned to the maintenance club member who had been watching the match from ringside. Right now they all looked as though they had been pushed off the edge of sanity by Negi and Evangeline.**_"Ahem...The final match won't start until after repairs are made to the ring!"_** Kazumi pulled the mic away from her mouth and sighed. "Oh boy..."

"Master..." Negi looked to the way she left and blinked when he spotted one of her red ribbons lying at his feet. "Hmm?" Negi bent over painfully and clutched it in his hand. It felt completely smooth and it was intact despite the explosion. "Did she leave this behind on purpose?"

* * *

Dorothy paced around up top on the observation deck as her mind tried to make sense of the situation. After Evangeline bound him with her dark threads she had lost complete control over Negi and to make things even more irritating they simply spent the next minute staring at each other before the entire ring was swallowed up in an explosion that seemingly came out of nowhere. To say that the mistress was furious was an understatement. She stared at Negi's fleeting form as he left the ring with Ku-Fei and Kaede assisting him. 

"It's...illogical..." Dorothy reasoned. "What did Evangel do?! Did she send their spirits to another realm?!" The Dark Mistress placed her hands against the observation window and bowed her head. "It mystifies me.."

"It appears that she forfeited too." Chao observed. "Negi will move on to face Albireo Imma."

"The thought of those two meeting in the ring disturbs me." Dorothy spoke, unmoving from her position against the window. "However...this doesn't affect anything. My plans will succeed without fail. As long as I am able to confront "Dark Evangel" while she is cursed she will be no match for me and the darkling will be mine to control."

"Negi will protect her." Chao warned. "And the festival is still going on for another day. The mages on campus will foil your plans if Negi doesn't...and Albireo Imma is a threat to you as long as he is able to sustain his form."

"I..." Dorothy clenched both of her hands in to tight fists. "...Am very irritated."

"Mistress."

"What is it now?" Dorothy practically snarled.

"What is your connection to Negi anyway?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because...you seem to have some sort of obsession with him." Chao explained. "And despite the fact that you claimed that you did not know him until now, you seem to possess quite a bit of intimate information about him."

"Not much gets by you..." Dorothy finally grinned and stepped away from the window. "But I should expect such cleverness from Xue's daughter." The Dark Mistress turned to face Chao and the Chinese girl felt violent chills. "You see...my fate is intertwined with Negi to an extent that I make it my business to know everything about him. I know all the people he has met and I know of all that he will be capable of. I know what type of impact he can make on the world of magic and the underworld of vampires."

"What do you mean your fate is intertwined with him?"

"Negi Springfield is destined to end my life."

* * *

**_Interlude... _**_(Note: These misadventures take place two years after Chao's plans are foiled. Dorothy is suspiciously nowhere to be seen in the present, which raises questions. That will be answered later, of course. The events that took place in the last chapters are in chronological order so far! I've left each one at a cliffhanger...mainly because I'm still considering whether to do a continuation of the series after FVA is done so they can be considered a teaser. Moving on! Negi departed from Mahora in Feburary and has not returned for nine months. Evangeline ordered that he return by December so that leaves him two months. Alice had him all from September to November_._ I of course have not and will not reveal Negi's struggle for freedom during October...for future purposes. Enjoy!)_

_To _hentai18ancilla: _Heh, heh...another interlude...Please don't beat me with a stick!_

**_F-------------------------------------------V--------------------------------------------------A_**

Negi looked out at the view from the balcony of his suite and sighed. He had a stunning view of the city with its brilliant lights and it's white sandy beach. He knew he couldn't really savor all of this, however, since he was here on business. He finally managed to contact Evangeline after the two months he spent with Mistress Alice Dalziel and her clan of female vampires. He thought that he settled his chapter with the Dark Mistress when he bested her in a duel but it seemed that she wasn't willing to keep her end of the deal they made. Even after he grasped victory she still pledged to chase him to the ends of the world until he would be her's and that would only make life even more of a hassle then it was already.

As soon as Evangeline heard his voice over the phone she let out all of the _"anger"_ and _"frustration"_ she had been holding deep inside. It did well to blast the young magi's ears to the point of oblivion but when Evangeline finally handed the phone over to Chachamaru the android revealed to him that the vampiress had locked herself in her room for days on end without even having a drink. Negi couldn't help but feel happy that his dark master cared for him that much and yet he recalled a night in the past when she might have made that clear...it was a bit hazy to him now with all the adventure he had.

"She said Takamichi informed her that one of father's partners lived around here." Negi thought aloud. "What a coincidence that they would be holding a ballroom banquet for her tonight." Negi did some investigating around the city until the name, "Alexandra Trepe" came up. Apparently she had taken a position in the City Hall after she had settled down from her travels. The banquet the city was holding was to honor her fine efforts over the years.

"Is Master Negi nervous?" Chachazero asked from her seat on the bed.

"Sort of...she was one of my father's partners...so she must have known him quite intimately." Negi explained. "She should be able to give me information about where he learned the scholasticus curse." Negi's head sunk low before he grumbled, "I hope..."

"Well, the "Thousand Master" had quite a few partners, Master Negi." Chachazero reasoned. "I don't think all of them would know that much about him."

"Y-you're right, Zero-chan." Negi grinned as his left eye twitched. "Do you have to tear down my hopes?!"

"Sorry master." The puppet apologized sheepishly. "Hey...how do you know we haven't been followed here? With Mistress McVicar and Dalziel hot on your tail I wouldn't be surprised if-"

"Zero!" Negi cut her off, throwing his hands in the air.

"...Okay..." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry..." Negi's heart broke when he realized she was just a little concerned for him. He walked to the bed and scooped her up in his arms before pecking her on the forehead.

"No, I'm sorry, Zero-chan." Negi apologized before his eyes lit up. "Hey, wait til you see what I got you to wear for the banquet." He placed the confused puppet back on the bed and walked to the closet before pulling out a black lace dress. "Pretty nice, huh?"

"W-wait..." Chachazero let her mouth hang open for a moment. "D-does that mean you're taking me as...your date?"

"Of course!" Negi answered. "I can't walk in there alone. I'd look suspicious." Negi slipped her pactio card out of his jacket with a grin. "You want to try it on now?"

"Really?!" Chachazero asked with the excitement one would expect from a child.

"Why not?" Negi picked her up from the bed again and walked to the bathroom to set her down on the toilet seat.

"What's wrong?" She asked when he slowly shuffled away from her.

"I'm giving you your privacy." Negi said with a faint blush. "I'll activate your card right now so..." Negi stepped out and closed the door behind him. "...Get ready!" He chanted the activation spell quietly and moments later he felt a rush of energy flow from behind the bathroom door. He blinked a few times when all that followed was silence and asked, "Are you alright in there?"

There was no answer...

"Um...Zero-chan?" Negi placed is ear against the door to see if he could hear her better. "I asked if you were alright."

"...Soft..." Chachazero said with a hint of deep fascination in her voice.

"Huh?" Negi quirked an eyebrow.

"My body...is soft..." He heard her say softly. Her voice had deepened considerably as well. She almost sounded close to Chachamaru. "Whoa...these are soft too." Negi' face went completely red when he heard her say that. His mind could almost make out what she was talking about but-

"Ahh...bad thoughts!" Negi conked himself across the head to get a grip. He walked to the bed to grab her dress and knocked on the door saying, "Alright then! I'm going to give you your dress alright?"

"...O-okay!" She replied, opening the door slightly to hold out an awaiting hand. When he gave it to her she closed the door and he heard some scuffling. Finally she finished and opened the door to allow him to view her. She was blushing up to her ears, squeezing her left arm with her right hand nervously. Her green hair was still similar to how it was when she was in her puppet-like form but she had taken the form of an attractive young woman. Negi found it hard not to stare for a moment. He had her transform once in the past so they could make their escape from Alice but it was in the heat of the moment. Now he actually had the opportunity to admire her appearance.

"W-what do you think, Master Negi?" She asked timidly. The fact that she had called him master with her current form made him fluster. Something about this wouldn't have seemed too innocent to a random person who didn't understand the nature of their relationship.

"U-um, wait a sec..." Negi walked behind her and fixed the black bow before turning her to face him and offering her a warm smile. "You look stunning, Zero-chan."

"R-really?" She was still reeling from being so tall. She was almost Negi's height in his older disguise.

"Yeah." Negi nodded. Both of them looked away from each other after sharing another awkward moment staring at each other. Negi was beginning to feel rather nervous around his familiar. He had to admit that she was a sight to behold. Chachazero on the other hand was slowly beginning to make sense of her current situation. In the past she was much too small to actually express her feelings to the young magi but now...

_I'm not just a little puppet anymore...well not at the moment anyway...so..._ The timid look of innocence on her face gradually began to melt away. Her eyes swiveled over to Negi who still had not decided to break the moment of silence and a mischievous grin crossed her lovely lips. Facial expressions were another thing she wasn't quite used too but for some reason it felt right._ I have you all to myself master and there's no Evangeline or Chachamaru to get between us! What do we have here? _Her eyes zeroed in on the queen size bed behind Negi. _It couldn't possibly get any better than this!_

"Master Negi..." She purred deeply, causing Negi to feel shivers. He finally looked at her and tensed up when he saw the libidinous expression gracing her features.

"Y-yes...Zero-chan?" Negi swallowed nervously. He took a step back when she took a step forward. Something about this scene felt a little dangerous to him.

"We've been together for a while haven't we?" She asked as she took another step toward him.

"Yes...we have." Negi nodded.

"And you could say that we've become very close...right?"

"Of course!"

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now, master."

"Hey, um, let's not call me master right now, hmm?" Negi requested nervously.

"Master." She took another step.

"Zero..." Negi slowly made his way to the other side of the bed.

"Stay still!" She suddenly lunged at him with her arms wide open to embrace him but he threw himself on to the bed and desperately tried to crawl to the other side. "I adore you!" She jumped on to the bed with him and wrapped her arms around his waist as the young magi frantically tried to get away. "Don't refuse me! Love me!" She nuzzled her head against his back feverishly. "Hold me like you usually do!"

"Zero-chan! I-I...this is so sudden!" Negi cried out helplessly. He blushed when he felt her hands trailing up his back to wrap around his chest. "Ah...Z-zero!" He tried to twist around in her firm hold and pry away her hands but the phone suddenly rang. "Huh?!"

"Maaaaaasterrrr!" Chachazero purred, burying her face in his back. Negi pulled with all his might to reach the phone and found his entire upper body hanging off the side of the bed when he managed to grab a hold of it.

"H-hello?!" Negi greeted in distress.

_"Negi?" _Evangeline's voice rang curiously.

"M-mas- I mean, Eva-chan!" Negi's voice wavered as he tried to wiggle free but his tactics only served to excite the love hungry familiar even more.

_"What's going on? Why are you breathing so hard?"_

"Oh...me?!" Negi tried to buy himself time to think up an excuse. "Err, I just got back from...EXCERSISING!" Negi cried out his last words when he felt Chachazero begin to tear his shirt open.

_"I hear some scuffling, Negi." _Evangeline said darkly. _"Are you sure you still aren't engaged in some strenuous activity?" _The young magi could hear some venomous suspicion behind her words. It almost sounded as though she was getting the wrong ide-

**_Rrrrrrrriiiiip!_**

"O-oh no!" Negi whimpered when he found his chest exposed. "U-um, Eva-chan?!"

_"What?!"_

"What did you want to talk about, hmm?!" Negi started to sweat profusely.

_"Your progress. Did you find Alexandra ye-"_

"Zero-chan?!" Negi cut her off.

_"Zero-chan? I sure hope you aren't talking to Chachazero that way..." _Evangeline still couldn't grasp how Negi was able to stand the sadistic puppet. Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard Negi muttering to himself. _"Hey! Are you listening?!"_

"Erm, I found her..." Negi made one final pull on the covers and he took Chachazero down with him to the floor in a tangled mess. The result was him on the bottom and Chachazero positioned right on top of him. To put it lightly, Chachazero wouldn't possibly have it any other way. "...S-sort of!" Negi finished, placing his hand on his familiar's stomach to keep her back.

_"What do you mean, "sort of"?"_

"Well...yah!" Negi yelped when Chachazero wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head forward with puckered lips.

_"Alright! I'm serious, Negi! What the hell is going on over there?!"_

"Massage!"

_"What?!"_

"I'm being given a massage!" Negi lied. "A-anyway, there's going to be a-umph..." Negi found his lips being blocked by Chachazero's own temptous set for a moment before he pulled away. "A banquet tonight! I'm going to be-urmph!" Negi wriggled for freedom again but Chachazero smacked the phone out of his hand and pressed the off button.

"ZERO!" Negi screamed when he was able to pull back for air. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"You just noticed?" she quipped before smothering him again.

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_We turn to Evangeline's side of the world..._**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Mistress?" Chachamaru cocked her head to the side when she saw the chibi-vampire standing like a statue in the living room with the phone in her hand. If looks could kill the phone would have spontaneously combusted by now. "What seems to be the matter?"

"Either Negi has forgotten who I am or..." Evangeline's lips curled in to a menacing smirk. "...He's just dying to see me again..." Evangeline set the phone down on it's awaiting base and turned to Chachamaru quickly. "Chachamaru."

"Yes Mistress?"

"We're going to see Negi."

"Um..." Chachamaru blinked. "How exactly will we do that mistress?"

"You remember the Kyoto trip a while back?" The vampiress asked.

"Yes."

"That's how."

**_F-------------------------------------------------V----------------------------------------------------------A_**

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning back to FVA..._**

**_-----------------------------------------------_**

"It's getting rough over here!" Asuna alerted Setsuna and Mei as she jumped back from a Tanaka droid. The android swung at her with one of it's heavy metallic fist and she ducked under the attack before sending it flying with an upward slash from her tessen. The redhead threw herself against the wall when she heard the piercing sound of a beam getting fired and narrowly avoided being stripped of her clothes. "I'm hating this a little more everytime they do that!"

"Watch out!" Setsuna suddenly alerted her.

"Wha-" Asuna flinched when Setsuna appeared beside her before beheading a Tanak droid with her blade. "Th-thanks."

"Just watch yourself." Setsuna told her. She turned back to a group of Droids that were heading their way and cried out, "ZANGAN-KEN!" The swordsman was a blur moments later and an explosion erupted where the droids formerly stood.

"...Sick..." Asuna said in awe. Her eyes wandered over to Takane who was lying on the ground motionless and she sighed. "Unlike some people!" She rushed over to the blonde magistress and crouched beside her before shaking her awake.

"Huh?" Takane groaned.

"Get up and fight already!" Asuna heard another beam fire and ducked her head just in time to avoid the surprise attack. What followed after that was the sound of explosions which confirmed Setsuna's handy work. "You were so high and mighty in the ring with Negi! How about you use some more of that down here?!"

"N-Negi?!" Takane's eyes darted around for any sign of him. "W-where?!"

"Jeez..." Asuna shook her head. "You're hopeless."

"Onesan!" Mei cried out, sending a wave of light arrows in the direction of some unsuspecting droids. "I need some support here!"

"R-right!" Takane finally got to her feet with Asuna's help. "It's time to get serious!"

"You said that before you fell unconscious moments ago." Asuna quipped.

"Quiet, you!" The blonde magistress shushed her. She faced some Tanaka droids that were terrorizing her underling and got in position with her wand. Asuna watched curiously when Takane dropped her arm at her side for a moment and asked, "Just what are you doing?! Mei is getting her bum handed to her back there!"

"Just a second..." Takane flexed her hands and regarded them oddly. _My hands feel like they're on the verge of exploding...just what is going on? _She shook her head when a vision of Negi flashed through her mind almost as though it was trying to send a message through to her. The vision felt so commanding towards her will. "Let's see where this gets me!"

"What are you tal-" Asuna trailed off when Takane was off in a blur. The red-head dropped her jaw when the opposing squad of droids that Mei was being distressed by suddenly exploded in a matter of seconds. When the smoke cleared Takane stood in the center of all the wreckage when oil and other substances dripping from her hands. The scene was bizarre and chilling at the same time!

"...Unbelievable." Asuna muttered. "One moment she's losing her mind over being stripped of her clothes and suddenly she's a killing machine." Even Setsuna had to do a double take after hearing all the commotion behind her. The swordsman regarded the blonde magistress before sheathing her blade.

"Why does her aura suddenly seem so familiar?" Setsuna thought in a whisper. "Almost like...no...exactly like Negi's..."

"Well, why is everyone staring at me like that?!" Takane finally cried out after being scrutinized by the rest of the young women.

"For one, you just managed to dispatch an entire squad of Tanaka clones with your bare hands!" Asuna cried out. "Where the heck did that come from, huh?! It's just like that time in the tournament when you suddenly grew wings out of nowhere!"

"It's called natural talent Kagurazaka!" Takane answered haughtily with a grin. She whipped around to point at the dark tunnel ahead of them and ordered, "ONWARDS!"

"...Well, she seems to be back to normal." Mei muttered to Asuna.

"Unfortunately." Asuna quipped.

* * *

"Mistress?" Chao called to Dorothy, walking in to the observatory deck. The maintenance club was near completion of the repairs on the ring so the match was going to commence in approximately a half hour or so. The Chinese girl was confused to find no one waiting for her inside. "Mistress Dorothy?" She walked deeper in to the observatory deck where the Dark Mistress usually resided to find a blonde little girl standing in front of a mirror, wearing a sundress and a matching hat that overshadowed her face in an eerie fashion. Chao was faintly reminded of a horror movie she once saw with Hakase. 

"What seems to be the matter, Lingshen?" The little girl asked, turning back to Chao with a mischievous grin. Her eyes glowed softly in the dimness of the room as she took a step towards her.. "Are you surprised to see me like this?"

"Mistress?"

"That's right." Dorothy nodded.

"...Why?" Chao inquired curiously.

"Because I feel this is the only way I can be near the young darkling without intimidating him." She replied. "I felt a growing fear in him when I met with him in my true form. In this form it will be much easier to gain his trust and form a close bond." With that exchange she walked past the scientist and headed to take her leave of the observatory deck.

"What do you intend to do?!" The Chinese scientist demanded boldly. The last thing she needed was for the Dark Mistress to go on looking for Evangeline and blow her cover. Gandolfini would call in the entire force if he found out that there were two Dark Mistresses on the school grounds. That was just a recipe for quite a sum of damages.

"Have some fun." Her answer left Chao confused.

"Fun?" Chao echoed the mistress before hearing a faint beep from the device on her wrist. A feral grin crossed her lips as she watched the right light blink on and off. Apparently, Takamichi and the small Setsuna sprite that was accompanying him were able to escape. "All is going as planned. With the information I've fed Takahata-sensei, Gandolfini and the others are bound to start making rash moves against me."

She approached the observation window and her grin gradually became broader with the sight of Gandolfini and his troop moving along the audience in the stands. "Fools...they really think that have me all figured out." Her eyes swiveled over to the door that the Dark Mistress left through and she mused, "..Yet...I can't even figure her out. Does she merely intend to torment Evangeline or is there more to her methods?" She quirked an eyebrow. "And if Negi is destined to kill her then shouldn't she be more focused on staying away from him?" She scratched her chin in deep thought. _Or am I just not getting the bigger picture here?_

* * *

_"Hyaku-Retsu Oka-Zan!" _Slashed at an incoming tank like robot that stood in their way ferociously. She jumped back quickly when sparks sizzled everywhere from the impact and the monstrous mech countered with an attempt to crush her body under the weight of it's left arm. It was sluggish but it's power was horrific. Asuna saw the swordsman having trouble and dashed at the mech, rolling under one of it's slashing arms to get in close and attack with a powered strike from her tessen artifact but the attack merely contributed a small dent. 

"I hate this sort of thing!" Asuna whined before seeing the mech bring down one of its heavy arms upon her. Setsuna reacted quickly, throwing herself in to the red-head to save her frowm the attack! "Setsuna!" Asuna screamed in fear but to her immense relief, the swordsman slashed in a perfect arc over her head to cut the arm in half before it could complete the full swing of it's attack. The large mech tried to make up for error by turning one of it's machine guns in Setsuna's direction but Mei got it's undivided attention when she sent one of her spells crashing against it's armor.

"Whenever you're ready onesan!" Mei called to Takane from the side. The Blonde magistress nodded and concentrated before sending a wave of black fire in the mech's direction. Asuna and Setsuna jumped out the way just as the dark spell ripped in to the haul of the robot and made it erupt in a ball of flames. The red-head regarded Takane oddly as she slowly stepped away from the burning wreckage and asked, "Where is this all coming from?! You weren't so hot a few moments ago when this whole fight first started!"

"I guess I just needed inspiration." Takane said with a wink.

"From w-who?" Asuna dreaded the answer that would come.

"...That's my business." She replied as she averted her eyes but to the rest of the young women whom were with her, it wasn't much of a secret.

"Well that's jus-"

"INCOMING!" Mei cut off Asuna with a scream as she pointed at something behind them.

"I won't make it in time..." Setsuna growled under her clenched as she turned to face the threat. A few Tanaka droids were rushing at them with full force on some of the tank mechs and they were preparing to bombard the girls with their stripping beams. All hope was seemingly lost for a frightening moment when all of a sudden the terror squad was engulfed in a sizzling beam of energy that came from the opposite end of the dark tunnel. Asuna immediately recognized the style of the attack and cried out joyously, "Takahata-sensei!"

"Are you serious?!" Takane asked in confusion. "Aren't we supposed to be doing the saving here?!" Her words didn't reach the red-head though. Her focus was set completely on Takamichi as he casually walked their way with his hands in his pockets. It felt like a vision from a fair tale to Asuna as his white jacket flapped to the side from the wind rushing through the tunnel. She could picture him sweeping her off her feet and taking her to some distan-

"ASUNA!" The red-head snapped out of her day dreaming when Setsuna called her name out loudly.

"Wh-what?!"

"Snap out of it!"

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning our attention to a certain vampiress..._**

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Ugh..." Evangeline rubbed her sore ribs as she laid her head back against the wall that her infirmary bed was against. Setsuna left her feeling just a tad bit sore after her fight with the bladesman but Negi turned that in to something simply horrible after forcing her to move so fast with her injuries, not that it would have affected her performance much but she had the right to groan over some things, right? She slowly turned her head to the window to see what was going on outside and groaned at the boring view. "I should've gotten a room with a view of the ring. It's Negi's final match against that..." Evangeline clutched the covers as a vein popped out on her forehead just thinking about Albireo. "...dirty old pervert..." She finally finished in a dark tone of voice.

"I am curious however..." She thought aloud. "...as to why he is here in the tournament. I know he must be here for more than just to give out information." There was a slight twitch with her left eyebrow. "His artifact had some interesting abilities too. It was as though he became an entirely different person when he activated it." Evangeline narrowed her eyes and mumbled suspiciously, "Unless..." Her thoughts were thrown off when the door to her room was opened by someone.

"What is it?" She slowly turned her head to regard her unwelcome visitor. She already threatened the nurse with a scapel. Surely the woman wasn't so foolish as to come alon-wait a second. Evangeline blinked when a girl who looked just about her age; in her disguise anyway faced her. "What's your problem?" She asked rudely. "Get out of here." She emphasized her words with a shooing gesture.

"Does the sight of me repulse you already?" Dorothy asked with a fanged grin. Evangeline's eyes zeroed in on the sight of her abnormally long canines and she threw the covers off of herself quickly just in case she would need to do some moving soon. "Ready for action already, hmm?"

"...Who are you?" Evangeline narrowed her eyes imperceptibly.

"Oh," Dorothy removed her hat from her head. "I wouldn't expect you to find out so quickly. My presence here is an anomaly in itself." A truly demented expression appeared on the girl's face as her eyes burned softly. "After being imprisoned for a few centuries, one would naturally be forgotten."

"...Dorothy..." Evangeline's eyes widened slightly.

"That was quicker than I anticipated. I'm not sure whether to be honored or peeved."

"How could you possibly be standing here before me?" Evangeline slowly shifted toward the edge of the bed.

"It's complicated." Dorothy answered with a slight nod of her head.

"I would sure assume so." Evangeline quipped. "I knew I felt something odd about the air when I was out there with the others but I would have never anticipated this. What is your reason for being here?" The vampiress tightened her left hand in to a fist. "Are you here for vengeance?"

"Not at all." Dorothy told her lightly. "I have far deeper interests in mind. I am not so shallow as to make a move here where I can be overpowered."

"What could possibly catch your interest on this quaint campus?" Evangeline asked with slight smirk. "You must have noticed that there's nothing exceptionally special about this place when compared to the rest of the world."

"Something in your possession I believe."

"..." Evangeline stayed silent for a moment as a terrible feeling gradually built up in the pit of her stomach. From what she was hearing, Dorothy's appearance could be linked to Negi's odd behavior earlier. "You're trying to get your hands on my underling?" Her words came in a deep dark voice that would have left any normal person in a quivering mess. Dorothy, however, was by no means any normal person by any standards, not even by vampiric standards.

"Right now I'm just having a little fun." Dorothy mocked her innocently. "I must say that he sure is something though. I've never seen such a splendid fledgling. For him to be at this level so early is unheard of."

"Don't be a fool Dorothy." Evangeline warned her. "Touch Negi in any way and I'll ensure that you'll feel the agony of your death beyond the nine circles of hell."

"Still sharp with the tongue I see." Dorothy quipped. "Let us see if the wit is just as refined."

"Don't test me."

"Or what?" Dorothy finally dropped the playful act. "You'll kill me?" She placed a hand on her chest with a smirk. "You dare to make a threat when you're still feeling a little weak from your recent matches?" She approached the bed slowly, however, she stopped when she felt Evangeline summon her dark threads. She wasn't about to walk in to such a trap. "In your cursed condition, I'm more than a match for you."

"Prove those words." Evangeline taunted her as she beckoned her with a finger. "Come on."

"I don't think I will." A smile found it's way on her face again. "I have a few things I'd like to do with Negi-chan before I deal with you." She raised an eyebrow when Evangeline stood up from her bed and walked around to her side. Her eyes wandered over to the bandages that were wrapped around her mid-section.

"It wouldn't be in your best interest to do anything with Negi." Evangeline warned her. "It doesn't matter if I'm injured. " Evangeline got in to a stance. "I'll gladly paint the walls with your blood."

"Let me make my point!" Dorothy yelled before she delivered a solid kick to Evangeline's ribs. She was too quick for Evangeline to defend against with her injuries and the pain that rushed through her body almost made her lose what control she had within her limbs.

"Dammit!" Evangeline coughed out a bit of blood and fell against the side of the bed. She breathed hard as she clutched her side painfully and growled, "You've made a big mistake Dorothy...I promise you...I'll kill you..."

"Still baring your fangs at a time like this?" Dorothy taunted, however, Evangeline proved that she wasn't making another threat; closing the distance between them and crushing her head against the wall behind her. Evangeline licked her lips with sadistic pleasure as Dorothy's hands clutched her arm in an attempt to break her hold on her and increased her grip until she felt blood slipping through her fingers.

"What's wrong?" Evangeline mocked her. "You were speaking so confidently moments ago!" She shoved her head even deeper in to the wall but Dorothy kicked against the wall with both of her feet and forced Evangeline back. She managed to place one hand on Evangeline's side in the struggle and dug her fingers in to her mid-section with all her might until blood started to soak the bandages.

"Not...so...fast..." the puppet master growled, wrapping her other hand around the other Dark Mistress's throat but her eyes darted down to find Dorothy's hand around her throat as well when she felt a sudden pressure. "I'll break your throat!"

"I'll just...come...back!" Dorothy spat as she tightened her chokehold around Evangeline's throat.

"And so...will I!" Evangeline countered.

"Just like old times...eh?" Dorothy grinned through the blood dripping all over her face.

"Yeah..."

**_F---------------------------------------V---------------------------------------------------------A_**

* * *

**_INTERLUDE..._**

"You may go in." One of the officers guarding the entrance to the City Hall told Negi and Chachazero. The young magi nodded with a grin as he held Chachazero's hand firmly in his own and they both strolled inside. Negi had to admit that he didn't think it was going to be this easy to get inside. He felt so intimidated by the thought of meeting one of his father's partners that he imagined a few more obstacles getting in the way of his meeting with Alexandra. As they walked through the halls he took note of some signs on the walls that were to direct them to the ballroom.

"This place is huge." Negi said in awe, his eyes wandering about the entire place as he walked hand in hand with Chachazero. "Don't you think so?"

"Yeah..." Chachazero nodded dreamily. "Um...master?"

"Yeah?" Negi turned his head to regard her.

"I'm...sorry for what happened earlier in the morning." She apologized. "You know...ripping your clothes off and stuff."

" For the last time, I said it was alright." Negi assured her with a sigh. He had to admit that is was a frightening experience on his part but he didn't want to make her feel any worse that she already did. The only thing that was bothering him was what Evangeline must have thought when the puppet hung up the phone on her. Surely the vampiress was going to punish somebody. "But I'll be putting a restriction on when we can use your artifact if you try that again." His response made her groan.

"But masterrrr." She whined.

"I told you not to call me master in public!" Negi snapped at her. "It's going to attract some unwanted attention if people hear you."

"Then what should I call you?" Chachazero asked in confusion.

"Just call me Negi, alright?" He answered her as they finally entered the ballroom. He looked away from her when their ears were assaulted by the loud music that was originally soothing to the both of them when they heard it out in the halls. There were people dancing in the middle of the ballroom, dressed elegantly, while others watched from their tables and spoke amongst one another, mingling. Negi spotted some exceptionally well dressed people sitting at a table set up at the very end of the enormous room and his eyes widened in delight when he saw Alexandra Trepe. She was just as pretty as he imagined her. He couldn't possibly expect any less from a woman selected by his father although it made one wonder whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"I can't believe I've finally found a real link to my father! Look at her, she's just beautiful!"

"She doesn't look like much to me." Chachazero rolled her eyes. "So what are you going to do? Are you going to go up and talk to her or what?"

"Wait." Negi calmed her down. "I can't just go up there right now. I need to wait until she's alone or it's going to be an awkward meeting."

"So what's the plan until then?"

"We enjoy ourselves." Negi answered. "If we just sit around and do nothing we'll look suspicious." Negi lead his familiar towards the center of the dance floor much to her rising panic. She didn't know what she was supposed to do at a time like this! "What's wrong, Zero-chan?" Negi asked when he saw the uneasy expression gracing her lovely features.

"You want me to dance with you?" She asked fearfully.

"Well...what's wrong with that?" He cocked his head to the side.

"I don't know how to dance!" She averted her eyes bashfully. "I'll just end up making a fool of myself."

"That's nonsense." Negi tried to comfort her.

"No, it's truth. I'm a puppet remember?"

"Oh...yeah." Negi blinked at the logic in her words. "I forgot about that." He surprised her, however, when he linked his right hand with her left and placed his other hand on her back. The shivers she felt from him touching her almost drove her crazy. She always yearned to be touched by him even though it was obvious that he wasn't as willing to go as far as she wanted to.

"Negi..." She spoke his name softly. It wasn't something she was familiar with but for some reason it felt so right. This entire moment she was sharing with him felt so right. There was no way that she would let anything or anyone take this moment of satisfaction away from her. "What are you doing?" She questioned him when he started to move along the dance floor.

"Just let me lead." Negi whispered in her ear as he danced to the beat. He took note of how stiff she was at the beginning but as time passed she gradually allowed herself to be swept up in the melody with his fluid movements. She found herself being pulled in to his entrancing eyes as the endless dance went on until they came to an unexpected halt. Chachazero blinked a few times quizzically, broken out of her wonderful world and asked, "Why did we stop for?"

"The song ended." Negi answered her.

"What?!" She whipped her head around in search of the cause for the sudden intervention in her experience. "Why? How do we get the music going again?!"

"Calm down, Zero-chan." Negi laughed. Even though she was a bit twisted she was still quite innocent in some ways. "Just wait a moment and I'm sure the music will start up again." Almost as if on cue, the music did just that and Chachazero smiled. Her happiness was so infectious that Negi couldn't help but smile back at her. The dance that came on this time was a version of a waltz. Negi lead Chachazero through the three simple beats of the dance and she eventually got the hang of it. "See? It's not so hard."

"I wish they had something faster though."

"I don't think they'll play any fast songs here."

"Where do they play fast songs?"

"At clubs." Negi replied.

"Can you take me to one?" Her eyes took on a child-like gleam.

"...I'll think about it." Negi chuckled nervously. That was the last place he'd ever think of taking her to! He couldn't even fathom what might happen if she ever got her hands on any alcohol in her current condition. He blinked when he noticed that his chin was being eaten by a green mop of hair-" Oh, wait.." Negi realized that Chachazero was resting her head against his chest. "Are you alright?"

"I'm happy that I've come this far with you, Negi."She pressed herself against him a little closer. "I actually have a reason to thank Eva-san, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"If she never gave me up to you then I would have never experienced any of this." she finally raised her head to look up at him and asked, "Am I a pleasure to be with master?"

"Of course you are." Negi answered her.

"I want the truth."

"I'm serious." Negi assured her. "Sure, it was sort of awkward in the beginning becasue I wasn't really used to your personality but I've enjoyed having you as my familiar...and my friend." Negi slipped his hand away from her back and ruffled her hair as though she was a little girl. "I've come to understand that I'll never be able to release you from your obsession for violence though."

"Heh, heh." She rested her head against his chest again. "I can't wait to brag to Chachamaru. She'll be so jealous."

"Oh..." Negi sweat-dropped at the thought of both of the android meeting Chachazero in her current form. _I almost forgot about Chachamaru! Knowing Chachazero, she wont pass up the chance at tormenting her. _"Um...don't be like that." He told his familiar.

"Don't be such a bore master."

"But it wouldn't exactly be nice towards, Chacha-chan." He caught a twitch in the puppet's right eye when he addressed Chachamaru so intimately. That was his original title for her before he started addressing her as 'Zero'.

"That's why I'm doing it." Chachazero retorted.

"Oh, it's hopeless." Negi sighed before his vampirric senses started to give him some gentle warnings about something nearby. Chachazero quirked an eyebrow when her master turned away from her and looked around for something.

"What's the matter, Negi?"

"As mcuh as I hate to say it..." Negi narrowed his eyes. "I'm getting a bad feeling."

"You think we're being observed by somebody?"

"...Not just anybody." Negi said cryptically. "More like somebody we know." He pulled Chachazero's hand and started to lead her away from the dance floor with him. "We need to get out of-ahh..." Negi came to a sudden halt when his senses started going wild. Whoever it was that was causing his disturbance, they were quite close. Chachazero started to get concerned when she saw cold sweat beginning to trail down his forehead. The young magi was really distressed.

"She's here." Negi growled.

"Who's here?" Chachazero asked.

_"Leaving the dance floor so soon, Lord Springfield?"_ A chilling voice carried over to Negi's ears from some unknown source. Negi let go of Chachazero's hand and looked around desperately to find the owner of the voice but the other dancers were making it hard for him to focus.

"Show yourself!" He demanded. He caught Chachazero concentrating from his peripheral and placed a hand on her shoulder quickly to stop her, whispering, "Not here, Chachazero. There's too many innocent people around."

_"Of course..."_ Negi heard the melodic voice reply before he saw Lucinda appear before him. She donned a black dress with straps over the shoulders. It had slits along the legs to allow others to admire her shapely figure. Her silver hair was in it's usual fashion, just falling over her shoulders. _"It's been a while."_

"It should have lasted longer if you asked me." Negi quipped. "How were you able to track me down? Do you have spies?"

_"Spies? I wouldn't lower myself to such methods, love." _The Dark Mistress approached him, swaying her hips side to side in a flirtatious fashion._ "You're quite predictable. I knew you would show up here being that you're the Thousand Master's son and all." _She gestured to the table that Alexandra was sitting at. _"Does she know that yet?"_

"You leave her out of this." Negi said darkly.

_"Oh, don't worry Lord Springfield. I've just come here for you." _Mistress McVicar looked to Chachazero and a slight frown came upon her lips. _"And who would this be?"_ The malice in her voice was quite clear. The Dark Mistress seemed to be the possessive type like some other vampires Negi knew.

"You know me." Chachazero narrowed her eyes at Lucinda. "This wouldn't be the first time we've met."

_"Ah, such boldness. You must be Chachazero! I remember you accompanying Mcdowell in the past."_ She crossed her arms and teetered chillingly. _"My, Springfield has made a woman out of you. I wouldn't' doubt his abilities to achieve such feats, however."_

"Lucinda, please give it a rest just this once." Negi pleaded her.

_"I don't think so._ _I'm not leaving until I've gotten what I came for...namely you." _She grabbed him by the hand gently and pulled him toward her. Negi wasn't sure what was causing it but being near her was driving him nuts! His skin was tingling under her touch and his mind couldn't decide whether it was agreeable or not. He leaned his head away from her when she leaned in for a kiss. _"Still impervious to my charms I see. I must warn you, young one. Resist me and you will put other lives in danger."_

"Don't bring others in to this Lucinda!"

_"You are leaving me no choice." _She offered him a maniacal grin. _"You do want to see these innocent humans run along home safely don't you?"_

"...You're shameless."

_"All I want is a kiss."_

"And my servitude." Negi countered.

_"I'm sure we can work out something."_ She grinned before leaning in for a kiss again. This time Negi didn't pull away and her lips almost captured his until-

**_"May I have this dance?"_**

Lucinda and Negi were completely shocked to see Evangeline and Chachamaru standing beside them. The vampiress was disguised in her older form, donning an elegant black lace dress that fell just above the knees. Chachamaru wore a dress with frills and a ribbon around her chest. She had a ribbon in her hair as well and the look she was directing at Chachazero showed that she wasn't pleased by this odd turn of events.

"E-Eva-chan?!" Negi was at a loss for words. He could almost feel tears stinging his eyes for reasons he could completely grasp for the life of him. "H-how...I don't get it..."

"Let's not talk about that here, Negi." Evangeline shushed him before setting her sights back on Lucinda. "You haven't changed a bit, Lucinda."

"Neither have you, Evangeline." Lucinda replied. Evangeline's eyes wandered over how close the Dark Mistress was holding her underling and a feral grin crossed her lovely lips.

"You of all people should know how foolish it is to try and take what is mine." Evangeline said menacingly. "Let go of Negi now."

"Don't you dare order me around. I'll embarrass you in front of your precious fledgling right now."

"Try me." Evangeline grinned.

"There are quite a few innocent humans around. You wouldn't want their lives on your conscience now, would you?"

"When has that ever stopped me?"

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_Heh, yet another miraculous update! I know it's been long but like I said before, my schedule is hectic and my mind is as jumbled as ever. I'm finding it to be quite a task when it comes to getting away from real life. Getting away from that, I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations! Yes, I know it's getting a little out of control but what can one expect when we're nearing the end of the tournament arc? Man, am I relieved… _

_The next chapter ends the tournament arc and then we'll move on to the lighter side of Negi's life…sort of. With Evangeline awaiting her date you can expect things to get a little out of hand and that goes for Ako as well. Dorothy and Evangeline are engaged in a duel within her infirmary room of all places and Negi is about to face off against the Thousand Master himself! _

_You can expect this to go out with a bang…or a nuclear explosion…take yer pick… _

**_Traingham…_**

**_Almost forgot...happy 4th of July! _**


	21. Farewell Father

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters...

**_Fang Vice Addiction _**

**_Chapter Twenty-One: Eclipse of Desire_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

The sun was slowly setting upon the horizon, blessing the lazy fisherman town with a crimson curtain that was a pleasure to bask in. The residents all followed along their usual paths home as they withdrew from their fishing posts and refrained from their tireless work at the docks. The sea gulls whined and cried out as they soared above, clearly discontent with the meager sight of food upon the ground and the crows came to settle in their place. Soon the crimson blessing would eventually be tainted and overcome by the darkness of the night and this did nothing but unsettle the Thousand Master as he had some leisure time among his Crimson Wing members in a local bar somewhere near the beach that the town was settled beside. 

"Hey Nagi, what's wrong?" Eishun asked the red-headed mage whom seemed to have his interests resting upon every window in the bar that was within his line of sight. After a moment in silence, Nagi turned back to the swordsman and replied, "Oh, nothing really." His reply came in a somewhat absent-minded fashion that caused the Konoe to raise an eyebrow in intrigue. It wasn't like him to sound so unsure.

Gateau and Takamichi were paying most of their attention to their little princess, Asuna so Nagi's odd attitude was the least of their interest. Albireo on the other hand seemed to be quite amused with the Thousand Master's behavior because he knew very well why Nagi was acting this way. It had been a few months since the mage was able to rid himself of, Evangeline McDowell, however the tiny vampire pledged that she wouldn't allow him to escape from her. She was determined to convince him that it was fate that brought them together and it would be fate that would lead her to him no matter how far he ran...and so far with all of the odd encounters Nagi had been having with her, he was beginning to get shivers.

"Are you afraid that she might drag you away in your sleep, Nagi?" Albireo suddenly asked with his usual mellow smile.

"Who?" Nagi asked, a quirky expression gracing his features.

"You know who..." The other mage told him melodically. "The lil' terror." He went on.

"Whaddya mean?" Nagi grinned. "Asuna can't drag me away anywhere!" He joked much to the little girl's amusement. Asuna giggled much to Gateau and Takamichi's dismay. The both of them shot Nagi an annoyed look before turning away again. They'd been trying to get the little girl to offer them a simple smile since they arrived at the bar and all Nagi had to do was throw in a little joke to get her to giggle. It would have seemed that Nagi's infectious charms appealed to little girls as well.

"No, no." Albireo shook his head. "The blonde one."

"Yeah, I knew who you meant." Nagi told him. "I doubt she'll find me here."

"You mean, lil Eva-chan." Eishun grinned. "That girl isn't going to ever let you go." He joked, nudging Nagi in the ribs.

"I wish she would." the Thousand Master groaned, eyeing the pint he was neglecting. Right now felt like the best time to take a good swig. Maybe it would take his mind off of his worries. Eishun and Albireo watched as the leader of the Crimson Wings downed the entire pint before letting his head drop back with a sigh. "Nope...not feelin' it." Nagi muttered woefully. His eyes followed one of the waitresses as she made her round from table to table and called out to her when she was near.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Another please." Nagi requested, pointing at the empty glass with his free hand as though she didn't know what he was referring to. When she took the glass he bowed his head. "Damn, the very thought of her is driving me to drink!" He finally joked. He wasn't one to stay down for too long.

"She must be a terrible girl." Eishun joked.

"Ahh…she isn't that bad." Nagi admitted. "She has her sweet side." His eyes were filled with life for a moment as he went on, "Speaking of girls; how is your little girl doing anyway?"

"Um…Konoka-chan?" Eishun asked.

"Duh." Nagi goaded him on.

"Er…I haven't seen her in a while." The swordsman said dejectedly. "…I…miss her…so much!" He buried his face in his lap and remained motionless.

"Now look what you did." Albireo frowned at Nagi.

"It's not like I intended for that to happen!"

* * *

Nagi peeled off his mage cloak and laid it down near one of the two chairs that were set up near a small circular dining table. He sighed deeply before plopping himself on one of the beds and laid still, letting his head fall back so he could see how Albireo was adjusting to the shabby room. The other mage raised an eyebrow at the condition of the room but said nothing. Eishun didn't even seem to care. He merely did a cursory of the room and wrapped his blade in a black cloth before slipping it under the bed nearest to the window. 

"What do you think Al?" Nagi asked his fellow mage with a wide grin. "Is this quality or what?!" He spread his arms wide over his head before letting them fall.

"I'll make do with what we've got." Albireo said, eyes closed with his ever-present smile. His carefree personality was something that usually caught others off guard. His demeanor mirrored Nagi's somewhat, which was probably the reason they worked so well together. "Although I can now tell how desperate you are to hide away from, McDowell. Surely," Albireo rolled his eyes briefly, "A Dark Mistress such as herself wouldn't be able to find you in some run down fisherman town."

"Hey!" Nagi raised an eyebrow, which naturally arched towards the floor since he was lying on his back. "Sorry, but I didn't hear any suggestions from you."

"It isn't my problem." Albireo sang mischievously.

"He's right there." Eishun threw in from the bathroom before both mages heard the swordsman open the water in the sink. What followed was a quick yelp when the hot water scalded his hands. "Their utility system leaves much to be desir-oh, wait, finally, some cold water."

"See?" Nagi offered Albireo a sparkling grin. "He's alright with the room."

The Inn that the Crimson Wings decided to stay in wasn't much and it showed in the quality of their rooms, however, it was quite cozy regardless and since Asuna didn't make any protests there was really no reason not to stay. Nagi was sharing a room with Eishun and Albireo while Gateau and Takamichi shared the room next door with Asuna. What they didn't know was that even as they got settled in to their rooms, a certain puppet master was observing from afar simply waiting for the right opportunity to claim the object of her desires.

Turning to said Puppet master, she stood upon the roof top of one of the boats docked near the shore with Chachazero perched respectively upon her head. Both sets of emerald eyes gleamed in the darkness, directed at the small fisherman Inn that the Crimson Wings were staying the night in. More specifically their eyes were directed at the balcony of the room Nagi was staying in.

Naturally that would be her way of entry but two annoying variables were in the way of her entrance and they were none other than Eishun and Albireo. While she had nothing against the swordsman, she had nothing but sour feelings for Albireo due to some of their meetings in the past. The main reason was because h was usually the only obstacle in her way whenever it came to claiming Nagi for herself. She wasn't sure if the mage was protective of the "Thousand Master" or if he just loved to annoy her for the hell of it. He had an odd charm to say the least but his tastes were rather bizarre. Too bizarre for Evangeline to really comprehend, much less appreciate.

"Thought you could escape from me, eh?" Evangeline said to no one in particular as a devious smirk danced across her lovely lips. Her fangs glinted marvelously in the moonlight for a brief moment. "The moment our hands were linked together up on the ledge of that cliff, you were mine."

"Wow." Chachazero cackled, effectively killing Evangeline's moment. "You're always so amorous whenever it comes to the Thousand Master."

"I swear…" Evangeline clenched her right hand in to a tight fist. "You really know how to kill the feeling."

"Killing is what I do best." The puppet giggled. "It's my hobby."

"Whatever…" Evangeline muttered as she kept sights set on the balcony. She narrowed her eyes imperceptibly when Albireo turned away from Nagi spot on the bed to the evening sky but she knew better than to fall for that old trick. It was only a matter of time before _he'd_ be able to tell that she was spying on them.

"Imma…that tricky bastard." She quipped.

"The perv caught ya?" Chachazero asked.

"Yeah…"

"He's always the first."

_So lil' Eva has finally come for Nagi, hmm?_ Albireo thought mischievously. He stole a glance at the silver clock that was hanging over the door to the room and said, "Well, I'd say it isn't too late for a last drink. I'm going to go for a little walk." He adjusted his cloak over his shoulders and headed for the door. "Hey Eishun?"

"Yeah Al?" Eishun asked as he dried his hair with a towel.

"Let's head next door and see what the others are doing." He threw the swordsman a quick gesture with his hand to send his message clearly.

"Oh…" Eishun mused; responding with a quick gesture of his own before jabbing a thumb at Nagi's resting form. "Sure, why not?" He slipped on his shirt, which was hanging on the towel bar and met with the mage. "Um, hey, Nagi?"

"Urrm?" Nagi groaned.

"You want us to bring you back something?"

"Nah." Nagi replied.

"Oookay." Eishun sounded unsure of his response but had no time to reflect upon it as Albireo opened the door and pulled him out of the room before shutting it behind them. Nagi titled his head back again to take one final look at the door. That sure was odd of them to go out for a drink again this late when they just came back from the bar about two or three hours ago. Perhaps-

"Well, they're the ones coming back with a nasty hangover in the morning." Nagi chuckled before closing his eyes again

…Nope, his mind wasn't working fast enough to suspect anything at the moment…

He lay on the bed motionlessly with the exception of his chest rising up and down in a rhythmic beat until he heard a faint thump from the balcony of the room. He snorted nervously once he awoke from his little nap and whispered, "Wha' wazzat?" He may have been a tad bit drowsy but his senses were still pretty sharp. He curled forward to see if there was something standing in front of the bed only to find nothing standing there…

"That's weird…" There was the undeniable hint of suspicion in his voice and Evangeline detected it on the spot. She pressed her back against the wall and took in deep breath before letting it out calmly.

"…He heard me." She cursed.

"You must be nervous cause-"

"Shut up."

"-You never make that sort of mistake." Chachazero finished regardless much to her master's growing irritation.

"One more word and I'll toss you off this balcony." She threatened.

"I'm ju-"

Evangeline flicked the puppet off her head with one hand…

"Well-" Chachazero hit the floor. The puppet, seeing that she didn't exactly fly off the balcony, swiveled her eyes toward her master and said, "Are you alright? I don't think you were trying." Evangeline's response was to crush her underfoot as she walked off. Chachazero, to say the least was rather disappointed. Nagi on the other hand was quite content with the pleasant nap he was enjoying. He was actually happy that Albireo and Eishun decided to do some late night smashing. Such a thing, of course was not meant to last long though. For instance-

"UMPH!" Nagi's eyes went wide in surprise when he felt a sudden weight drop on his stomach. His surprise became something akin to terror when he found out who was the cause of his discomfort. There sitting upon his stomach with a mischievous grin upon her face was a blonde girl! That's right, a girl he had never seen before. The reason for his confusion was probably due to the fact that the chibi-vampire had decided to visit him in a form that wasn't so…cute. The word for her appearance bordered more upon the word, gorgeous or simply sexy may have sufficed. In short, she had taken on her older form. An appearance Nagi wasn't quite familiar with at all.

"Guess who?" Evangeline cooed with a libidinous expression gracing her lovely features. Nagi's expression gradually went from confused to a look of realization.

"I get it now!" Nagi grinned. "Oh, Al, that devil!" His words made a puzzled expression wash over the vampiress' face.

"Excuse me?" Evangeline blinked.

"Ha, I don't need this." Nagi told her, shifting to help her off of him but she wouldn't budge. The Thousand Master blinked before going on, "Um, seriously…I don't need this."

"What do you mean?" She cocked her head to the side. "Do you even know who I am?"

"Er…Al pai-ahem…" He stopped himself before something stupid could come out of his mouth. "I'm sorry but I don't." He opted for the sensible path.

"It's Evangeline you idiot!" She snapped.

"You mean…"

"That's right." Evangeline whispered in to his ear.

"But you didn't look like this before!" Nagi looked around frantically for help that unfortunately wasn't going to come and narrowed his eyes. _Al…you evil man. I'm going to murder your sorry butt. _His eyes swiveled back to Evangeline._ But right now I've got bigger problem…_ "What a surprise."

"Is it really?" She raised an eyebrow. "You should have figured out long ago that you can't hide from me, Thousand Master." Evangeline slipped her hands across his chest until she was able to wrap them behind his neck. Nagi tensed at her action and swallowed hard. She was being way more aggressive than she usually was and this older transformation wasn't helping things at all.

"No, really…how did you find me?"

"Well, apparently you've become quite famous in the underworld." Evangeline replied. "You're the main talk amongst the Dark Mistresses as well. People happen to be keeping tabs on you." An amused expression briefly appeared on her face before she went on, "Besides, you posed for a photo shot in D.W Monthly last month anyway."

"You subscribed?" Nagi raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not!" Evangeline blushed faintly. "Do you really think I have time for such things?"

"…It was just a question."

"Getting away from that…" Evangeline offered him a fanged grin. "Let's get down to business, hmm?"

"Eva, let's not go through this again."

"Through what?"

"I told you already!" Nagi gripped the covers under him. "There is no way that I'm going to let you take me!"

"Nagi…" She cooed as she stroked his hair. The feeling of her soft hands running over his head made violent shivers run through his spine. "Don't deny me. You and I are fated lovers. Can't you see that?"

"No!" His eyes swiveled over to regard her right hand when she began stroking his neck with her thumb.

"This loneliness…" She grabbed his right hand with her left and held it firmly. "I never feel it whenever I'm near you. Me heart is at peace when I feel your touch. My world is right when I see your dazzling smile." Her words were spoken so poetically that Nagi felt his cheeks burning. He felt much more comfortable around her when she was just a mischievous little girl. This was just going from awkward to heart thumping. "Please Nagi, allow me to share this dark gift with you." She bared her fangs, staring in to his eyes softly.

"Eva-"

"Don't speak." She told him as she pulled his upper body against her until it seemed as though they were sharing a sensual embrace. Her eyes danced up a down at the sight of his neck and her fangs tingled with a deep insatiable excitement. This was the moment she once believed could only be fulfilled in a dream and yet here she was holding the man that always seemed to be out of her reach. She lowered her fangs to access his neck, finding no resistance and she probably would have reached her target if-

_The door opened… _

"Huh?" Evangeline whipped her head towards the door to face their 'unwelcome' interloper. Nagi was still in a drunk daze from her entrancing eyes so his head titled to the side lazily. There at the door was Asuna, clutching her stuffed rabbit with her usual dead-panned expression. Her precious eyes swiveled between Nagi and Evangeline but their position didn't seem to faze her the least bit. She merely walked in and closed he door behind her saying, "Mr. Gateau and Imma was right. You do have a lady friend with you in here."

"W-what?" Nagi finally shook off his trance and bugged out when he realized the closeness he was sharing with the lovely mistress. His initial reaction was to press his palms against her shoulders and push hard so she would lose her hold on him. "Get off of me!"

"But-"

"Can't you see that there's a child in the room?!" He cut her off before forcing her off of him and getting to his feet to approach the little girl. He placed his hand on her head to ruffle her hair playfully and asked, "What are you doing here, princess?"

"I wanted to sleep with you tonight." She admitted after a short moment of silence to steal a glance at Evangeline. "Why was that old lady sitting on you?" She asked, pointing a finger at the vampires much to her displeasure.

_Who are you calling an old lady you little brat?!_ Evangeline inwardly growled with a pout. She hated the little girl even more for killing her tender moment with the Thousand Master. _I was SO close! He could have been mine! _

"She was just giving me a neck massage!" Nagi lied, emphasizing his point by running his hand down the back of his neck. Asuna shot him a skeptical look that briefly shattered her stoic mask and the mage chuckled nervously. "I'm serious!"

"Who is she, Nagi?"

"A…friend." His words shot an arrow through Evangeline's heart.

"Girlfriend!" Evangeline spat out venomously.

"L-liar!" Nagi whipped around to face her.

"Just leave the room little girl." She said to Asuna mischievously. "We wouldn't want to corrupt you with our adulterous acts."

"She's lying!" Nagi flailed his hands erratically before mouthing to the mistress, _Stop it! I mean it! _

_Let me spend the night with you._ She mouthed back to him.

_Are you sick?! Asuna will get the wrong idea! _

_No she won't. _

_I can't sleep in bed with you while she's here. She's a little girl! Besides, I never agreed to let you stay here anyway. _

While this silent conversation went on, Asuna looked on in mild interest at both adults while they moved their lips. It was bizarre to the young girl to say the least…even more bizarre as to how good they were at doing it.

_Alright then…give me a minute… _

_Huh? _

Nagi watched in confusion as the mistress got off the bed and walked out in to the balcony. There was a sudden rush of wind, forcing the glass doors leading out in to the balcony to close shut. " What is she planning on doi-"

_The doorbell suddenly rang… _

"Who the heck?" Nagi turned around and walked past Asuna to open the door. His jaw hung open when he saw Evangeline standing there in her normal form, clutching Chachazero to her chest like some innocent little girl.

"Yo, T.M!" The puppet greeted him.

"Crap…"

* * *

**_Mahora Festival, Day Two: Mahora Budokai (Final Match)… _**

"What…do you…want from my underling?" Evangeline's eyes burned with an untamed fury as she tightened her grip around Dorothy's neck. Blood trickled from both mistress's mouth as they tried to snap each other's neck but their efforts seemed to have been all for nothing as it appeared that they were both at a stalemate.

"I will gain his loyalty…" Dorothy answered with a maniacal smile. "…And his affections, but most of all…I will attain his blood!"

"What good will it do you?" Evangeline questioned. "You've purged yourself already!"

"Have I?" Dorothy asked much to Evangeline's suspicion. The Undying Wizard knew well what that tone of voice meant. The Dark Mistress had something under her sleeve but she was determined to keep her from unveiling it. Evangeline snatched her hand away from Dorothy's neck and turned her hips to the side before delivering a crippling elbow blow to her rival's forearm. There was a sickening crack as Dorothy's arm bent to the side at an odd angle, eliciting an agonizing scream.

"I'm going to finish what I failed to do before!" Evangeline cried out menacingly. She advanced upon the other mistress, blood still seeping from her wound, and flexed her right hand with a faint crack. Her nails turned in to claws and she slashed at Dorothy but she managed to block the attack with her good arm. "Still got some fight in you?" Evangeline asked.

"You've…URH!" Dorothy grunted as her healing abilities finally kicked in, allowing her to fix her arm in place again. "NO IDEA!" She roared, swinging at Evangeline with mind numbing speed. Evangeline leaned back before the punch could connect with her face and she ducked when Dorothy tried to follow up with a slash. She may have gotten faster over their past years apart from each other but she still was having a hard time landing a blow on Evangeline now that she was alert and serious.

"Don't you dare underestimate me!" Dorothy warned her. To Evangeline's surprise the other mistress hastened her movements before she could react and managed to connect a painful elbow blow to her chest. Dorothy watched Evangeline stagger backwards from the blow and smirked deviously. If she was going to get the upper hand in this duel then she was going to have to exploit the Undying Wizard's weaknesses. _She's very possessive over Negi and her ribs are a sure target. I just may be able to defeat her now!_

"Wipe that smirk off your face Dorothy." Evangeline grinned fearlessly. "I can tell that you think you've got me figured out." Evangeline flexed both of her hands. "But believe me. I'm far too complex for you to grasp."

"Are you now?" Dorothy taunted. "Then I'll just have to take you apart piece by piece." She lunged at her and Evangeline stole a glance at the electric line behind her before grabbing it with her left hand and wrenching it free from the wall. The electricity that discharged from the exposed wires practically gleamed in her eyes. "Oh!" Dorothy's eyes widened with horror when she realized what her intentions were.

"Toast." Evangeline smirked maniacally as she thrust the exposed line directly in to the other mistress's chest.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

**_------------------------------------------------------------- _**

**_Final Match: Negi Springfield Vs. Ku:Nel Sanders… _**

**_------------------------------------------------------------ _**

**_"Who will be the one to claim the title, "Mahora's Strongest?!"_** Kazumi's booming voice echoed through the quiet stands. The Library trio watched from the crowds, fighting the urge to bite their nails. Ku-Fei, Chachazero, Kaede and Kotaro watched with unblinking eyes from the side lines and Chachamaru and Chisame watched from the commentary table with stoic expressions on their faces despite their true feelings regarding the final match. The girls who were spying from up top the roof of the stands were too busy quarrelling over their feelings for the young teacher to really pay attention to anything else.

_This is it…_ Negi thought, taking in a slow, deep breath. _…It's time to find out who this man really is. _ He exhaled softly as he opened his eyes and the ring before him was as clear as daylight. He couldn't help but steal a glance at ringside to see if his master was present to see the outcome of the match but as he thought, she was nowhere to be seen. "Well…" He reached behind the back of his head to stroke the red ribbon he used to fix his pony tail with. It was the ribbon Evangeline left behind. "At least I still have you with me Eva…somehow."

_Aw, man!_ Negi massaged the back of his neck with a grin as his cheeks started to burn. _This is silly! What am I talking about?! Master would probably laugh at me if she could read my thoughts right now! _

**_"Right then! Let's ask those two fighting prodigies to approach the stage now, shall we?!"_** Kazumi asked before feeling a chill run up her neck accompanied by the melodic words, "Here I am." Albireo's sudden appearance made Kazumi and Sayo jump away from him in fear.

"You're doing a swell job, by the way." He complimented her with a wink although the deep hood he had pulled over his head made this rather hard to pick up without closer observation.

**_"Here he is, Challenger Ku: Nel Sanders!"_** The audience finally started screaming their hearts out again, breaking the dramatic silence. **_"He's never seen without a smile on his face and he has yet to receive an injury. His face is a mystery due to his hood and his fighting style is as well. The man is simply a force to reckon with!" _**After the crowd was done cheering again she whipped around to put the spotlight on Negi. When she regarded him she almost couldn't view him as a boy anymore with the fierce look on his face. He never seemed to look his age. **_"And in this corner! At a mere ten years of age, he is the child prodigy who's fought his way to the top and in to the hearts of the audience! Every match has been nothing but drama whenever he rises up the the challenge! Master of the Bajiquan! Hakkyoku-ken and Baguazhan! Hakkesho styles, his is he name on everyone's lips…" _** The crowd started screaming so hard that she had to scream her teacher's name at the top of her lungs, **_"NEGI SPRINGFIEEEELD!" _**

_Dorothy shoved Evangeline off of her when she was momentarily distracted by the sound of her disciple's name being screamed out… _

Negi stood at the stair steps leading in to the ring with his cloak flapping along with the breeze. The image was practically carved in to the minds of the viewers in the crowd like he was some character out of a comic book…er…ahem. When both challengers were at the very center of the ring, Kazumi held her hand over her head and announced, **_"It's about time we got this match started! FINAL MATCH…" _**

At her words, Negi found his mind beginning to wander off. The cheers from the crowd gradually fell dead to his ears and before he knew it, Albireo and everything else before his eyes blurred until they were simple shapes and colors. _This is the final match…_ Negi clenched his fist. _This is where father stood so long ago… _

**_Flames…There were so many flames and yet all he could feel was the bitter coldness against his skin and the emptiness that tore away at everything else he held within his heart._** Negi raised his eyes from the white blanket of snow at his knees and saw a hooded figure standing in the distance. The familiar staff he clutched in his right hand was enough for the young magi to know who it was he held before his eyes. "Father…" His voice was soft and weak, even quivering but something told him it wasn't simply because of the cold. He knew what was being consumed by the fierce fire that burned around them.

**_It was the town they lived in before the incident that took it all away from them… _**

_This was my last meeting with my father before he disappeared… _

**_"I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help to you." _**

_"Father! Where did you go?" _

**_----------------------------------------------_**

**_---------------------------------------------- _**

"Hey Negi!" Came a girlish voice. It was the tone of voice one could immediately identify with a stuck up sort of person. Negi turned away from his books to see Anya approaching his desk with a frustrated look ruining her pretty little face. She had on the generic black robe for all young magisters in training and she had her flaming red hair in long pig tails that fell down to her hips. Two thick locks fell over her shoulders just above her crossed arms.

"Oh…" Negi said with a hint of fatigue slipping through his words. At this point his tongue was even too lazy to make out comprehensible words. It turned out to be a chore for the young magi in itself. "Hey Anya…" He took a moment to yawn before regarding her with heavy eyelids. "What are you doing up so late?" He asked.

"That should be my question to you, dork." Anya retorted as her look of frustration slowly melted away, being replaced with something much closer to worry. "This isn't normal, Negi." She started off as she placed a flat palm on his desk. "You should be asleep. I mean, look at this!" She was referring to the stack of books that littered almost every inch of his study. There were little bookmarks on some of the important sections in almost every book on every stack just in case he needed to reference back to them later.

"I know but...I need to keep pushing myself if I ever expect to live up to my father's name." Negi told her faintly, flipping to the next page of the book he was currently taking notes on. The endless scribbling that he did in his little notepad made Anya's left eye twitch quite noticeably.

"Negi…this is stupid. You're too young to be thinking about things like that…" She took a seat on one of the stacks in front of his desk and reached for a book at the very top of a stack beside her. She raised an eyebrow after looking through some of the pages before closing the book. "Pretty advanced…"

"Yep.", was her friend's only reply.

"Want me to keep you company?" She asked, trying not to sound hopeful. She waved the book in her hand to emphasize her question. "We might as well start studying together if you're gonna do this every night."

"Nope."

A saddened expression flashed across her face; however, it was immediately replaced with an irritated expression just as quickly.

"That's it!" She got up and closed the book Negi was reading.

"Wh-what is it?!" He cried out in surprise before letting out a pained whimper when she pulled him away from his desk by the ear. "O-ow, ow, ow."

"You're coming to bed whether you like it or not!" She growled.

"B-but this is the way to your room!"

"How else am I going to be able to make sure that you don't stay up late?!"

**_In order to find you…I studied a lot… _**

_Ku-Fei delivered a solid kick to his side which he quickly grabbed before trying to twirl her in the air. The chairman was much quicker, however, using that opportunity to turn her hips to the side and deliver a kick to the side of his head with her other foot. _

"You do well disciple but still is forgetting how to protect open spots." The Chinese girl told him with a cat-like grin as she offered him a hand to get back to his feet.

"I guess I'm going to need more practice." The young mage let out a forced chuckle, trying to soothe the dull pain he felt on the side of his head.

"Oh!" Ku-Fei was suddenly on top of him. "I hurt you bad Negi-chan?!"

"N-no! I'm fine, really!"

**_In order to catch up to you… _**

"Prepare yourself sensei!" Chachamaru alerted him, pulling her leg back for a kick.

"Ugh." He managed to block her kick and counter with a roundhouse but he caught a glimpse of a green blur shooting directly towards him and ducked just in time to narrowly a slash from Chachazero. The android took his distraction as an opening for an attack and delivered an uppercut to his gut. Negi's eyes went wide with shock as the air completely left him and fell to the floor with a thud.

**_In order to become like you… _**

"What the hell are you doing?!" Evangeline barked at him when he remained motionless on the floor. "Get back to your feet now!"

"Right…" Negi pushed his palms against the floor and got to his knees before reaching for his staff. When he stood up again Evangeline ordered for the training to continue and both living dolls came at him again. This time, however, he managed to impress the dark wizard when he ducked under a propelled punch from Chachamaru and kneed her in the stomach. She staggered back from the blow, forcing Chachazero to go in for an attack but Negi anticipated this and sent the puppet crashing in to her counterpart with a well timed swing from his staff.

"Well…" Evangeline crossed her arms with a mellow grin. "Not bad."

**_I began training for battle. _**

_"He could have become a twilight mage." _

_"Why do you say that?" _

_"Because your father…was something extraordinary." _

_"He is his father's son…" _

_"Don't you realize that this man only views you as a shadow of your father?!" _

**_Father… _**

_"He's Nagi's son alright." _

_"This is the Thousand Master's boy?" _

_"All I need to do is drain the blood of one of the Thousand Master's relatives! Guess who the lucky pick is?!" _

_"If you reach the finals…" _

_"Father? Who are you?! Is my mind playing tricks on me? I don't understand anymore!" _

_"…I may even allow you…" _

_"That voice mixed in with the other! It couldn't be!" _

_"…to fight me." _

**_…Will I really see you today? _**

**_"FIGHT!"_** Negi was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Kazumi start the match. He saw Albireo pull out his artifact and he reflexively dropped in to a fighting stance to prepare for the worst. This was the moment he'd been losing every ounce of blood and sweat for. He flinched when there was an explosion of light from the older mage's feet and countless books spiraled around his body. The artifact that Albireo held in his hand materialized in to a bookmark that floated at his side.

**_"What's this?!" _** The photographer questioned the spectacle. **_"Books seem to be surrounding Challenger Ku:Nel! If memory serves right, we saw something similar in the semi-finals match with Nagase!" _**

"You've made it to the finals Negi-kun…" Negi tensed as Albireo spoke his last words, "…Well done. My name is Albireo Imma. I'm a friend of the Thousand Master, Nagi Springfield."

"Ah…" Negi was at a loss for words. His mind started racing from hearing this revelation.

"That aside, I would appreciate it if you continued to address me as Ku:Nel Sanders. I've grown quite fond of it." He laughed.

"O-Okay." Negi sweat dropped.

"Now, as for your reward!" Albireo pulled his hood back slight so Negi could get a better look at his face. "It is with this…" He snatched a book that was floating beside him with one hand and grabbed his bookmark with his other. "…that I can fulfill a ten years' promise, made to a friend." The pages of the book he held in his hand started flapping until they were a blur and he tucked the bookmark between two pages, allowing the book to clap shut.

Negi blinked in confusion…

Albireo smirked at the young mage's reaction to his actions and went on by pulling the bookmark out of the book. The mark crackled with mysterious properties and without warning, Albireo was consumed in a beam of light that stretched far in to the skies. Negi braced himself as the light was too much for his eyes to take until he felt smoke rolling around the ring. He opened his eyes and widened them when he saw the silhouette of a person behind the curtain of smoke.

**_"It seems that Challenger Ku;Nel has removed his hood!" _**Kazumi announced excitedly as she squinted her eyes in an attempt to get a better look. **_"Is this his true face?!" _**Her excitement, along with Negi's fizzled away and was replaced with intrigue when an older man than they expected came forth from the shroud of smoke. His hair was grey and spiked; he sported a mustache and beard that still health the black color of youth and he wore a battle worn white suit with black dress shoes. The resemblance between him and Takamichi was way more obvious than physical similarities toward Negi and that did well to discourage the photographer and the young magi quite a bit.

**_"What is this?! Some say that this man be a relative of the child teacher …other's, his father but the question remains: Is this dandy looking fellow really Challenger Negi's father?!" _**Her question stirred some rather audible commotion from the audience of which the majority felt doubtful. Didn't this man look a little too old to have such a young son? The young teacher couldn't have possibly had a link with this man's gene pool…could he? As the crowd pondered such ideas, Gateau smirked and made his move, alerting Negi. The move he preformed reminded the young magi of his elder, Takamichi as he leaped in to the air before slamming his hands together to conjure multiple beams of energy that crashed in to the water surrounding the ring.

Negi's eyes darted around feverishly in search of the older mage, whipping around to find him flying overhead. The impact from the indirect attack caused the water to rise in to the air, spraying the entire crowd. Chao banged her right fist against the observatory glass in frustration when the water splashed against it.

"Damn you! I can't see!" She growled, narrowing her eyes imperceptibly. "Are you trying to hide something from me Mr. Imma?"

**_"What an impact! Not unlike that of "Death Glare" Takahata come to think of it, but…" _**Kazumi tensed when she noticed that the fog that surrounded the ring before gat thicker. It inspired an eerie feeling within her. **_"A fog like cloud covers the stage!" _**She fought the temptation to get closer to Negi.

_"That's Gateau for you…" _Albireo's melodic voice remarked from behind Negi. The young magi turned around to see the mysterious man, holding three enchanted bookmarks between his fingers. The hood over his head was no longer withdrawn. _"…He sure was something." _The properties of his voice was becoming distorted by a mixture of other voices. _"Now as for the power of my artifact…" _He trailed off before chanting his activation spell.

Negi couldn't takes his eyes off of him as a whirlwind of smoke whipped up from his feet. He took the form of Eishun when the smoke cleared again, leaning against his sword. Had Konoka been able to view the ring she probably would have been in shock to see her father.

_"My artifact is able to mimic appearances, as well as emulate physical abilities." _The elder Konoe's voice echoed. _"When that person's abilities exceed mine, the effect is short lived, making it of limited usefulness." _

"E-Eishun-san…" Negi's voice wavered at the sight of one of the Crimson Wing members.

_"But since most humans are weaker than I am…" _He went on, _"There's little reason to attempt such a thing. However-" _A whirlwind of magical properties whipped up and engulfed him again. His voice distorted again and to Negi's confusion it took on a female quality. _"Being that it is a hobby of mine to record the lives of others", _Nekane went on with her comforting smile as she reached up to grab another book that floated over her head, _"…In each of these magical books there is a half-life of a person recorded within. Also-"_ Another whirlwind took Negi's older sister away from him and left another familiar face in her place.

"A-Anya?" Negi whispered the red-head's name softly once the smoke cleared. She looked exactly the same way she had the last time he had seen her and her familiar smirk sent millions of different memories and feelings racing through his mind. To see all these old faces brought him back.

_"There's just one more thing about my artifact that you should know." _Her vibrant voice informed him. _"At the point this "half-life" account is created the person's emotions; personality and memory are recorded as well, allowing me to replay them with perfect fidelity." _Her eyes sharpened upon Negi's form as she raised her voice slightly, _"However, it only lasts for a mere ten minutes before the book loses all of it's magical properties, leaving it as just another book and a rather mundane read." _She moved an annoying red strand away from her nose. _"If it had any use at all I'd say as a last will and testament." _

_A Last will? _Her words echoed within Negi's mind as he slowly pulled the lost pieces of the puzzle together. This had to be the reason for his odd "Hallucinations" from earlier! He shielded his eyes with his arms when Anya was swallowed up by a final whirlwind that turned her back to Albireo. The mage held the book in his hand so Negi could get a good look at the name that was sown on the front cover.

"Do you understand where I'm going with this?" Albireo asked him in his normal voice. When he saw that Negi was speechless he decided to proceed. "Let's cut to the chase then! Ten years ago I was asked by a friend to make a promise…that if something were to happen…a few words would be left for a son never seen."

_Negi's heart started to beat painfully as his eyes scrolled over the name on the book… _

**_NAGI SPRINGFIELD… _**

_"Are you read for what you're about to see?"_

* * *

**_"FATHER!" _**

_His small boots crunched against the pearly white snow as he reached out for the figure with it's back turned to him in the distance…_

* * *

**_"You only have ten minutes…" _**Albireo cocked his head to the side slightly. **_"…Are you ready?" _**

"W-WAIT!" Negi stopped Albireo with a halting hand.

"What's the matter?"

**_---------------------------------------------------------- _**

**_Flipping over to Evangeline's situation… _**

**_-------------------------------------------------------- _**

Darkness consumed the infirmary room and Evangeline wasn't sure if she was even in Mahora anymore. For some reason this darkness held a malicious quality. It almost felt as though it had a life of it's own somehow. Dorothy was nowhere to be seen but Evangeline could sense her moving about. She was wise not to linger in one place for too long or Evangeline would have wasted no time in dealing the fatal blow to her neck with her dark threads. "So, you've picked up a few new tricks have you?" Evangeline asked, keeping on alert.

_"More than just a few." _Dorothy's voice echoed eerily. _"I didn't want to resort to this but you've forced my hand." _

"I always do." Evangeline quipped. Her eyes darted to some ripples in the darkness and she lashed her hand out in it's direction to send her dark threads rushing through it. Her attack had no effect but Dorothy finally decided to stop hiding and rose out of the ground to grab Evangeline by her ankles. "Dammit…" She growled as Dorothy started to pull her down in to the void. She conjured a dark arrow in her right hand and blew Dorothy's head apart; however, instead of ceasing her assault she kept on unleashing arrows until the other mistress sank in to the darkness. Then without warning the floor beneath her bubbled violently and a grotesque arm burst forth to crush the Undying Wizard.

_"Well, Evangel?!" _Dorothy cackled when her rival phased out of existence to reappear at a safe distance away from the deadly extremity. _"See what I've been gifted with?! You forced me to suffer those many centuries in imprisonment…" _Dorothy's entire body rose from the shadows again in a monstrous form. She towered over Evangeline in all of her glory, her face lacking any facial features at all with the exception of a wide grinning mouth lined with razor sharp teeth. Crimson eyes opened all over her chest and directed their attention at Evangeline. _"You've transformed me in to something magnificent!" _

"…Unexpected…" Evangeline grinned. "But look what you have to become in order to face me. You've lost your beauty and your grace…it's a shame really." She held her hands out at her sides and clenched her fist to summon more dark threads before lashing them out at Dorothy. The threads glinted softly for a moment before slicing through her shadow-like form, no differently than a hot knife would through butter. Dorothy's left and right arm fell off and got absorbed by the darkness again only to regenerate.

_"You gave it a shot." _Dorothy laughed. _"My turn." _She raised her hands over her head and the floor rippled like water before more grotesque hands burst forth to strike Evangeline. She ignored the hands that came after her and took flight to close the distance between her and Dorothy, maneuvering across the inky darkness to avoid being hit. When Dorothy realized that her tactics were ineffective, the eyes on her chest closed before tentacles came wriggling out like enraged serpents to bind Evangeline.

"Disgusting." Evangeline wrinkled her nose in disgust, watching the tentacles rush in her direction. She preformed a mid-air shundo to rip through the tentacles and gathered chilling energy in both hands before unleashing it upon Dorothy. The result was Dorothy becoming an ice sculpture in a manner of speaking. "Well? Is that all?" Evangeline asked with a smirk as she landed on the floor. She placed a hand on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "The day you met me you were just another loser."

_"E-Even so…" _Dorothy grunted as the ice around her cracked. Her grotesque form sunk in to the shadows and she rose again in her child-like form. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were tattered and torn but a devious smirk remained on her lips regardless. "I always plan ahead Evangel. You of all people should know that."

"I should have known you weren't done with your tricks." Evangeline frowned. "It better be good though because I'm not in the mood to look at you anymore."

"Very well." Dorothy took a polite bow and sighed. Her appearance revitalized itself and she regained her beauty once again. "Allow me to introduce you to, "She reached in to the shadows and pulled out a silver pocket watch that resembled the Cassiopeia. "The Cassiopeia Zero!"

"That looks like the watch Negi had." Evangeline mused. "Where did you get that watch from?!"

"It was a parting gift from a friend." Dorothy answered mischievously. She ran her free hand along her forehead and tossed her hair to the side. "Xue Lingshen."

"Who is that?"

"The mother of, Chao Lingshen."

"You killed her?"

"Naturally. I had to set things in order." Dorothy replied. "Her invention proved to be quite useful but she refused to join me so I had to dispose of her. Now what I had not anticipated was that her death would summon a very powerful vampire to avenge her." Dorothy narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "Can you guess who that vampire might have been?"

"…Negi…"

"Exactly." Dorothy nodded. "He was simply beautiful in his rage and despair. He was torn between avenging a loved one and accepting that she was a threat to the world of magic."

"What do you mean? You murdered her."

"He didn't know that." Dorothy grinned. "You see, Xue had some trouble with the Magic Ministry due to her unique inventions that usually violated the thin line between science and magic. On several occasions they even sent agents to apprehend her but she always resisted."

"So he was convinced that they sent an assassin." Evangeline reasoned, rolling her eyes. "That stupid Negi…always jumps to conclusions before giving time to thought."

"What forced him to make the decision was the appearance of a daughter he'd never seen." Her words made Evangeline scowl. "I'm sure you can guess who that was."

"A…daughter?" Evangeline growled.

"Yes…Chao Lingshen."

"He had a daughter with her?" Evangeline's mind refused to budge from that shred of information.

"Well, what's the matter?" Dorothy grinned like a fox. "Are you feeling a little possessive?! That's right! Apparently you had not been paying any mind to poor, Negi-chan so you can only blame yourself. When one does not find love…" She found pleasure from looking at Evangeline's murderous expression as she went on, "They pursue it."

"Well…" Evangeline smiled dementedly. "That is the future correct?"

"…Yes."

"We're in the present, Dorothy and the very fact that you made an appearance in the past to reveal this to me has already set time in a different motion." Evangeline explained, gathering energy in her left hand. "I must thank you for this information though. I'll be sure to keep that in mind!" She let loose on her rival but Dorothy cried out the activation spell for the Cassiopeia and disappeared in a flash of light along with the darkness that surrounded them. Evangeline closed her eyes when the light that poured through her infirmary window struck her eyes. She heard the wild cheers from the audience outside and heard the winner declared.

"I missed it!" She screamed in frustration. "I have to get there before it's too late!"

**_--------------------------------------------------- _**

**_Rewind to the Match… _**

**_---------------------------------------------------_**

"Six years ago!" Negi cried out to Albireo. "That one in the snow...was that you Ku:Nel?!"

"Six years ago?" Albireo questioned as his body started it's transformation. "Not that I remember, no." With his answer a whirlwind of light, much fiercer than the others from before, swallowed the older mage and shot upwards towards the sky brilliantly. Everyone in the stands had to cover their eyes from the piercing light, including Negi and Kazumi. Before long, however, the light faded and Negi was able to open his eyes. There was nothing but a mist of smoke at first glance but it gradually materialized in to a large flock of doves that flew away to reveal a figure donning a mage cloak. He was slightly taller than Albireo and he had his back facing Negi so he couldn't make out his face but something within the young magi told him that this man was his father. The entire crowd couldn't help but gape in awe at the wondrous spectacle as white feathers floated lightly around the ring and the mysterious man lifted his right hand in to the air to let the dove that was perched on it fly away.

"Uh..." Negi's entire body went stiff when the man's hood finally fell back, allowing red hair to feather along with the breeze. He slowly turned around to regard Negi and the young magi couldn't help but feel as though he was staring in to an older mirror of himself. His eyes burned with tears and his body started trembling. He feared that his knees would give out soon if his father didn't decided to speak to him.

"Yo." Nagi greeted him casually as though a day never passed that they had not seen each other. "So you're Negi?"

"Father?" Negi's voice quivered softly as more tears trailed down his cheeks. Kazumi was about to break out in tears herself from seeing her teacher cry.

_Whats up with all of these birds anyway? _Nagi thought as he patted himself down to get off some of the feathers that stuck to his cloak. It was really serving to annoy him if anything else. "Not another one of Al's gaudy spectacle I hope?" It killed him that Albireo had to make a drama out of everything. Of course, in this case where his son was standing just a few feet from him and they had not seen each other for six years who could expect anything but drama? _OH! I must really sound like a jack ass right now! _Nagi turned reluctantly to face his son and his eyes immediately darted to his cheek where he found a tear hanging for a moment before slipping down the same path so many others had gone down.

_Oh geez, he's crying! That's the last thing I need for him to start doing! I can't handle this situation if he's going to act like that! How am I going to give him comfort for that if I only have ten minutes to sustain my form?!_

"FATHER!" Negi finally got his legs to respond and rushed to his father with arms wide open to embrace him. At his cry the entire audience started chattering feverishly. Most of the young women in the crowd started cheering for the reunion while others were far to taken by the scene to do anything else but cry tears of joy for the young teacher.

"So that is Nagi Springfield..." Chachamaru whispered faintly as she utilized her camera to get a picture of the scene. She knew Negi was going to want it for later. The girls who were spying on the match from the roof were too shocked to even speak amongst themselves with the exception of Misa who was drooling over the sight of Nagi and Ayaka who was bordering on relieving herself of the water content within her body through her hysterical tears.

_As much as it kills me to do this..._ Nagi readied his left hand to flick Negi while he held his other hand in a welcoming gesture to deceive his son. When Negi was about to jump to embrace his father, the audience did their "Awws" and "Ohhs" only to have it stolen from their mouths when Nagi flicked his son in the forehead with such force that he went flying backwards in to the floor with a few tumbles to boot.

"So this is the Mahora Budokai, huh? Nagi stroked his chin as he made a cursory of the arena. He noticed how similar Negi was dressed compared to himself and grinned, "He does understand presentation. I'll give him that." He grimaced when he saw his son still crying. _This isn't working at all! Dammit Al! Why the hell did there have to be such a short limit on this transformation?! Well, better work some of my cleverness. (Yes, Nagi is full of himself.) _

"Hey!" He placed his hands on his hips and smirked down upon Negi. "Is that any way for my son to act? Is that really all it takes to make you cry?!"

"What?!" Negi almost went hysterical. _Is this any way for a father to act when he's just be reunited with his son?!_ The young magi got back to his feet and approached his father awkwardly. "What do you mean?! Anyone would act this way!"

_Cripes, that just made him mad. _Nagi's mind went racing for a different approach. What works on a male's ego best? _OH! I've got it! _"Well you shouldn't!" Nagi crouched down to lower himself to Negi's eye level. "It just isn't manly. You do want to be manly don't ya?" He grinned at the sight of Negi's handsome face. He really did take after his father. He couldn't help but be overwhelmed with pride.

"B-B-But!" Negi blabbered. "I've been looking for you for a lo-o-ong time! A really, really, re-"

_Nagi pinched him by the cheeks and stretched..._

"Re-e-e-e-e-e-ally-" Negi finally got annoyed and slapped his hands away. "Come on! I'm serious here!"

"Look at that face." Nagi grinned. "It's a mess! No son of mine should have such a serious face!"_ Damn, you'd figure this kid seen death or something..._

"W-WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT!" Negi shook his in frustration.

"Heh." The grin on the Thousand Master's face mellowed just a tad bit. "So you're ten now, huh? That's a bit hard for me to process . It's troubling really. To me you weren't even born yet." His melancholy tone brought more tears to Negi's eyes. _Man...I sure have a knack for screwing myself! Well, not much time left. I don't want to leave him hanging like this._ He reached down to ruffle his son's hair affectionately with a smile.

"There's not much time." He started off when he knew he had his son's attention. "I never was really much of a good talker and since this is the Budokai and all-" He got in to his favorite fighting stance and smirked. _If this is the only thing I can offer you then I'll do it as best I can. It's really sad. _"At least let's train..." He didn't allow his emotions to betray his voice. "If only for a little bit. You've made it to the finals on your own so you can handle yourself, right?"

"Y-yeah." Negi nodded slowly, his heartbeat never dropping it's speed.

"This is about all I can really do for you." He relaxed his arms and exhaled slowly. "Come."

Negi recomposed himself as best as he could and dropped in to a fighting stance as well, replying, "I'm ready...father."

"Heh."_ That's the way it's done, son._

Kazumi watched in awe, almost dropping her mic to the ground. She felt as though she was attending the front seats of some movie. This all felt too unreal to actually be unfolding before her very eyes. She couldn't deny the resemblance this time though. Negi looked like a miniature clone when compared to the handsome man standing on the opposite side of the ring. It did puzzle her as to how he got there so fast when he was with his son moments ago. **_"Are we witnessing a battle between father and son?!"_**

"This very exciting, no?" Ku-Fei nudged Kaede.

"No doubt in my mind about that." The ninja agreed.

"Awesome! It's T.M!" Chachazero cried out excitedly. "I'm not missing this for the world!"

_What do we have here?_ Nagi thought with a wide grin when he studied Negi's fighting stance. _It looks like somebody knows their stuff._ "Interesting stance!" He told Negi, causing the young magi to flush crimson. " I'm guessing...Chinese martial arts?"

"Right on money!" Ku-Fei cried out proudly.

"Y-yes." Negi answered, acting like that sudden outburst never happened.

_No time to waste. _"Now make this count." Nagi said. "Or this will be over before you know it."

_I-I understand that..._ Negi nodded and kicked off with his right left to send himself rushing towards his father. Nagi smiled and got in to a defensive stance to prepare his counter attack while Negi pulled his fist back to deal the first strike. _...Even so, you're standing before my very eyes father. _Negi swung his fist forward but Nagi guided his fist away using his left hand._ And even if it's an illusion..._ Negi reacted quickly to his defensive block, rearing his right leg back to deliver an knee to his stomach, _...If I reach out to you, I'll still be able to touch you._ He knee was blocked by Nagi's other hand and the older mage retaliated with an uppercut to his gut._...Because right now..._

Negi felt his body fly upwards from the blow to his gut and his mind was disoriented by the lack of oxygen circulating through his body but he was able to see his father following up with his left fist. He was charging it with energy and before Negi could react, Nagi caught him across the face with a right swing that sent him twirling to the side. Negi was quick to recover this time, slamming his palm against the ring floor to push off and put some distance between his father and himself. When he landed on his feet he realized that Nagi conjured some saggita shots in reserve. The Thousand Master unleashed the shots upon his son and Negi kicked on his heels to avoid a shot that was directed at his position. Two others came at him when the other two failed and he turned his hips to the side before delivering a kick that successfully deflected them. The remaining saggits shots came in too fast for him to do anything else but brace himself for what was to come.

The floor around him exploded in to splinters and board flew everywhere with smoke. It did well to cloud his view even if for a moment but Negi was quick to move. He preformed a shundo to close the distance between him and his father and prepared to deliver a Wind element infused punch to his mid-section. Nagi's senses alerted him of Negi's presence just as he parted the mist with his high speed maneuver before feeling his son's fist slam in to his finely tone abs. The young magi blinked in perturbation when he found that his attack had absolutely no effect on the older mage. In fact Nagi simply grabbed a hold of his arm and gave it a light squeeze before he felt every nerve in his body scream in agony! The Thousand Master sent volts of electricity running through Negi's body with a simple squeeze and before the young magi's mind could regain it's fragile grip on reality he found himself shooting upwards toward the sky as Nagi tossed him up.

"Gah..." Negi groaned as the wind rushed through his face. He tried opening his eyes but all that he saw before Nagi's elbow slammed in to his stomach was red-hair. His body felt like a rag being tossed up and down in some cruel game of ping-pong but he wasn't about to give up just yet. He prepared to take flight after his father, however, Nagi saved him all the trouble and came down upon his fleeting form with an axe kick!

_This is brutal! _Negi thought woefully as his right eye went dead to any attempt he made to open it again. _I'm not making any effective attacks on him. It's like he sees through my tactics before I even act upon them!_ His left eye went wide with horror when Nagi conjured a frightening accumulation of thunder magic in one hand. Negi did the first thing that came to mind and gathered magic in his right hand to propel him far enough from the incoming blast but the result was inevitable. Just as Nagi launched his monstrous ray of thunder, Negi let out the energy in his left hand only to find that he wasn't moving away fast enough. Seconds later his body burned like wildfire as the crackling energy engulfed him.

The audience at the arena couldn't fathom what was going on and before they could grasp what was happening, both father and son had taken their duel across the campus. Negi's body skipped across the water under the Mahora bridge from the velocity he was thrown at and Nagi was relentless, unleashing another ray of thunder at his direction. The students occupying a boat that was cruising nearby the point of the explosion all cried out gleefully as the water rose high above the bridge and sprayed everything in sight. Negi on the other hand tried to use the water mist to his advantage, kicking off from the surface of the water to come at Nagi with all he had left in him. If he was going to land a hit on his father he was going to make it count! Nagi acknowledged the silent challenge that Negi sent him and flew at him as well.

**_If only we could for just this moment..._**

_Negi smirked as the wind and droplets of water rushed though his face._

_**If we could just do this...**_

_Both mage's cloaks flapped furiously behind them with the immesnse pick up of speed the gained._

_**But then again...you'll be gone when this is all over...**_

_Negi clenched both of his fist when his father was almost close enough to strike._

**_Father...I...someday I'll..._**

_...And everything went white..._

Negi opened his eyes slowly and found himself lying flat on his back against the floor of the ring. He gradually regained his hearing as the ringing in his ears faded and the sound of Kazumi's counting him out was clearly audible but for some reason he couldn't possibly care less if he lost. There was a deep feeling of satisfaction within him that told him it wouldn't be worth it to keep on fighting on. His eyes swiveled to the side to take in the sight of his father smiling down upon him. He looked like a super hero out of the comic books he loved to read.

"You made it last quite a while Negi." Nagi said, unable to conceal his pride. At his father's words, Negi couldn't think of doing anything else but laugh in response. He was just so happy to have experienced all of this and for now that was enough.

"Heh, heh...you are strong, aren't you father?" It sounded more like a remark than a question. "You're just the way I thought you'd be father." Nagi was taken aback by his words.

_You're making me blush. _Nagi inwardly chuckled as he offered Negi a hand. "Good to hear!" Was all he could say. He felt rather dull witted for uttering such a simple line but his mind was too jumbled with emotions to process a good sentence. By the time he helped his son up to his feet the ten count was over and Kazumi cried out-

**_"Challenger Ku:Nel Sanders WINS!"_**

Times up...Negi." Nagi informed his son before looking him up and down to regard him. "Hey, are you alright? Does it hurt?" Negi was delighted to hear some concern in his father's voice. It was really spoiling him to have this moment with the elder mage. That's when he realized that he was actually bleeding from various places on his body. His shirt was moist with blood, there was a deep cut on his cheek that was bleeding, and by raising his right hand he noticed blood trickling down his entire arm.

"U-Uh...yeah, sort of." He answered.

"Have, Al fix you up." Nagi nodded as if agreeing with his own solution.

"Hmm..." Nagi hummed in deep thought before he went on, "I guess me being here with you means that I'm dead." He swiveled his eyes over to Negi and said, "Sorry...that I couldn't do anything for you." Those words haunted Negi like a suppressed memory that was clawing to receive some recognition. He could've sworn those were his exact final words to him before he left him on that snowy night, six years ago.

_Well, here goes..._ Nagi offered Negi his profile as he looked away from him and took in a deep breath before saying, "I know I have no right to tell you this but...grow up happy, huh?"

_No! This can't end now! _Negi felt the emptiness rushing in again as Nagi turned his back on him. "WAIT FATHER PLEASE!" He cry made Nagi turn around to look at him. "I have something very important to tell you! You're not dead!"

"Huh?" Nagi cocked his head to the side curiously.

"You saved me on that snowy day, six years ago!"

**_"NAGI!"_** Evangeline's voice made both Springfields turn their heads to the source of the voice. there at the stair steps leading to the ring stood Evangeline, still donning her hospital gown, which was crusted with dried blood from her engagement with Dorothy earlier. She looked as though she ran a mile with the way she was sweating and at the very sight of the Thousand Master she was blushing up to her ears. If this was a dream then she'd damn the person stupid enough to awaken her from it.

"Eva..." Negi said her name softly. Nagi stole a glance at his son before returning his gaze to The chibi-vampire.Apparently his some must have gotten pretty close to the vampiress for him to call her on a first name basis. She didn't let just anybody address her that way.

"Uh..." Nagi pointed at Evangeline before turning to point at Negi.

Translation:**_What the hell did I miss all these years?_**

"Shaddup!" Evangeline snapped at him. "You're wasting time!" _It's time that I let go of you, Nagi. _"Th-there's so many things I'd like to talk to you about regarding my curse and a whole mess of other things but it would be pointless to say it all to an illusion-"

"Curse?" Nagi scratched his head in confusion.

_Evangeline's expression was priceless..._

"OOOOOOOH!" Nagi recalled quickly before something painful would follow. "That curse! Yeah! I've been thinking about that!"

"NO EXCUSES! PLEASE!" Evangeline fumed before she recomposed herself. "So you've no time?"

"Maybe just a few seconds." Nagi replied.

_Here goes nothing._ Evangeline prepared to swallow her pride. "Then embrace me...dammit." She added on the end for some effect.

It didn't take too long for Nagi to reply, "Nope. Don't wanna."

"You just WANT me to KILL you..." She growled, feeling a needle poke at her heart. "Whatever!" She crossed her arms childishly. "Then pat my head then; I'll settle."

"You sure that's all you want?" Nagi asked but Evangeline wasn't in the mood to get hopeful.

"I figure I can't ask for anything more so...make it quick." Evangeline watched him lower his hand and quickly added, "And put your heart in to it."

"Will do." Nagi smiled and placed his hand on her head gently.

_Evangeline closed her eyes..._

**_And for the first time I saw my master actually cry..._**

"Negi..." Nagi called his son's name as the transformation began to wear off. "I don't know how you've lived your life until now, what's happened to you or what happened to me after that point. Being an illusion...I just can't say." Nagi's eyes glimmered as a light from the heavens above began to shower him and Evangeline radiantly."And yet that you would idolize your father- so young, great, cool, brilliant, et cetera-oh, undefeatable; and a hero, really...but...you mustn't keep chasing after me you know." He looked down at Evangeline when she couldn't keep in her laughter. "What?" He asked her innocently.

"But father-"

"Listen." Nagi cut him off. "You have your own life."

"But-"

"See you." He bide him farewell as the light finally took him away but not without saying-

**_"And try not to cry so much, huh?"_**

_And that was the last of him..._

_...He was gone..._

_**"Father."**  
_

Negi simply stood there, his eyes focused on the exact place his father had been standing at mere seconds ago. This precious gift had reached it's limit and now all of his happiness had disappeared along with it. He bowed his head with complete disregard for anything else that had gone on. He didn't pay any mind to Evangeline's attack upon Albireo; his students rushing to the ring or the cheering and screaming of the audience. He just wanted to cry. He wanted to let go of all the sadness that rushed back in to his heart. He was allowed just that...right?**_  
_**

Evangeline noticed her underling crying and approached him. She didn't care what anybody thought of her or how they would view her after this. She just wanted to bring him comfort. "Let it out." She told him softly, taking him in to an embrace. All the girls couldn't believe what was going on before their eyes but they did nothing to stop the vampiress. This was their moment.

**_---------------------------------------------------_**

_That day was the first time I had seen master cry. I guess father must have meant a lot to her just like he did to me..._

_...But there was one thing that caught my attention most of all. It was the way she looked at him..it was as though everything in her world was right as long as she beheld him in her eyes and for a moment..._

_...I wanted to be the person that made her feel that way..._

_**----------------------------------------------------**_

* * *

_**To Be continued...**_

* * *

_That's right...no interludes for this chapter. I felt that it would kill the entire mood of this chapter so I'll leave the final interlude for the next chapter. I would have written more but something told me that this was the right point to stop at. Anyway, I am happy to say that we've concluded the Tournament Arc! WHOOOO!_

_...Ahem..._

_I'd like to thank all of you readers for being patient and staying along for the ride. Now we will head on to the final arc of the series which will have a mixture of romance, action, and dare I say...suspense? Eh, maybe. Romantic dates are in order and so are some let downs. (End of the Tournament means Negi moves out of Eva's house) But hey, the heart grows fonder with..er...I forgot how it goes but you get the idea._

_One more note...I won't be around a computer for a while so my next update probably won't be out until...early September. I'm going on a little vacation with some friends. Hope all of you stay safe and have a great month so..._

_Take care..._

_**Traingham...**__**  
**_


	22. When they attack!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters…but I do own the Dark Mistresses...if that amounts to anything...  
_

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Twenty-two: Feelings Buried in Secrecy_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

A white blanket of snow covered the grounds of Mahora campus as the sparkling crystals fell from the cloudy sky. It was a sight to behold for a certain magi as his boots crunched along the frosted ground. He had been waiting to see the grounds of Mahora again for many passing months and in his defense, his time away wasn't exactly a pleasure filled getaway. Negi had the hood of his cloak pulled over his head so it was pretty hard to make out his face and Chachazero could hardly be seen as well since her master had her cradled in his arms…not that she really minded much.

"Here we are, Zero-chan." Negi whispered to his familiar as a smile crossed his lips. "We're back home."

"A sight for sore eyes, huh?" Chachazero asked, raising her head to regard Negi's face.

"That's right." Negi nodded with a chuckle. "Do you think I should meet with everyone just as I am or should I revert to normal?" The thought of walking into the classroom as an older teenager felt somewhat appealing to the young magi for some reason; perhaps because of what he had been through for the past months. It felt as though he had been away for years.

"I think you should tone down the age by two years._(Age fifteen…by appearance of course)_ That Ako girl will think you're her dream boy if you walk in there too old." Chachazero's mind wandered for a moment before she added, "Hey, how about we use my pactio card?!" Her voice took on a childish quality as the excitement practically radiated from her.

"Your clothes are in the traveling pack." Negi tried to veer her away from the idea. "We can't just change in the middle of the school grounds."

"Then let me use your cloak!" Chachazero suggested. "It's not like the cold really bothers you anyway. Come on Master Negi! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?"

"Um…" Negi hesitated as a sweat drop threatened to slip down his face. For some reason whenever the puppet got this way he found it hard to refuse her. That was unless the manner of her request was of a scandalous nature which was usually the case since she began to explore the capabilities of her new body. The more she continued to stare up at him from his arms, the less resistance he had against her.

"…Oh well…"

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning to Takamichi's Homeroom…._**

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

Here it was. The beginning of another day in class and just about everything still remained the same. With Takamichi around to keep an eye on the girls it was much harder for chaos to ensue. While the others pretty much had neutral expressions with the exception of the twins who still managed to keep true to themselves; Asuna couldn't possibly complain about her situation. Sure, she kind of missed Negi but the man of her dreams was her teacher again. What more could she have possibly asked for?

The red-head had considerably matured over the past two years and it showed not only in her personality but also within the natural growth of her body. The same could be said for the rest of the girls which surprisingly included the twins. Chizuru was no longer the only member of the class with the most curves in a manner of speaking. Asuna still had not removed the bells from her hair but she no longer kept it in pig tails.

_Everyone seems completely dead today…_ She thought as her eyes wandered over to the frost covered windows on the right side of the classroom. Mahora always looked stunning during the winter. It reminded her of the Christmas movies she'd seen when she was younger. _Well…I guess I can understand why. It's almost that time of the year and that stupid Negi still hasn't come back._ She turned her head slightly to see Evangeline and Chachamaru sitting in their usual seat at the very back of the room.

After their mysterious disappearance from campus they had been coming to class everyday. Asuna was beginning to wonder if the vampires had cut a deal with the headmaster and ironically enough she could not have possibly been more spot on. When Chachamaru's eyes fell upon her for a moment, she turned away and blushed lightly in embarrassment.

"Alright everyone." Takamichi called the attention of his students. He sweat-dropped when most of the girls took their time. _Well, as they get older they do start to get rebellious._ The elder mage inwardly reasoned. "Anyway, Mahora is going to be holding a winter festival to get everyone on campus in the mood for the season. It'll be similar to the Mahora Festival but it won't be nearly as hectic." He looked to them expectantly for some sort of reaction but that was beginning to become quite the task.

"Um, sensei?" Asuna raised her hand much to Takamichi's relief.

"Yes, Asuna?" Takamichi acknowledged her.

"So, when is this taking place?"

"In three weeks so you girls will be given the opportunity to start planning for your attractions today."

_No reaction from the class…_

"So you can get in groups now." Takamichi informed them. He was relieved when the girls started switching seats to get into their discussions. As expected, they didn't do it quickly but they made gradual progress. While all of this went on he motioned to Evangeline to come to his desk. The vampiress tilted her head to the side questioningly before she rose out of her seat and proceeded to approach him with Chachamaru following not far behind.

"Yeah?" Evangeline asked, crossing her arms.

"When did you say Negi was going to arrive?" Takamichi inquired.

"I told him to be here the first of December." Evangeline answered. "I'm assuming that he might've encountered a little trouble since that was three days ago."

"A little trouble?" The elder mage raised an eyebrow before he went on, asking, "What kind of trouble are we talking about here?"

"Nothing major." That, of course was a complete lie. Being hunted down by Lucinda and the other Dark Mistresses was something major and there was no denying that, however, Evangeline knew that if Takamichi found out he would inform the headmaster and Negi would be kept safe on Mahora. The last thing she wanted was for her underling to be kept confined within the campus like she was and then there was the possibility of Lucinda managing to track him down. Mahora may have had a barrier that concealed any magic auras residing within it but nothing was completely out of reach for a powerful mistress like Lucinda.

_And I can't forget about Dorothy…_ Evangeline inwardly growled. The cunning mistress always found a way to come back. She wasn't about to let herself believe that Dorothy was slain so easily. Most likely she was biding her time before she'd make away with Negi.

"I don't know Evangeline…." Takamichi stroked his chin. "Are you sure you aren't hiding something from me?"

"Perish the thought." The sarcasm dripped from Evangeline's voice like venom. The tone her voice took on only served to confuse Takamichi even more. Sometimes he just couldn't read this girl and asking Chachamaru for the truth would have been a complete waste of time. The android was much too loyal to Evangeline for her to say otherwise.

"Ugh." Takamichi slapped a hand against his forehead with an exasperated sigh. "Evangeline…the girls are getting quite difficult to manage. I'm hoping that if they get an answer of when he'll be here, it'll lift their spirits."

"Negi wanted it to be his little surprise." Evangeline told him, placing both of her hands on her hips. She whipped her head to the side to get her hair out of her line of sight. "Let him have his satisfaction, huh?" Just as she was done speaking, her senses started to run wild. _Well!_ Her lips curled into a pleased smirk. _It looks like someone has been pushing their self since I last saw them._

Chachamaru caught the look on her mistress's face and felt a slight kick in her gears. A few years of experience told her that _"That"_ smirk was only reserved for a certain fledgling. "Mistress?" Chachamaru whispered.

"Yes." Evangeline answered the unspoken question.

"What?" Takamichi questioned after observing the curious scene. "Yes to what?"

"Patience." Evangeline shushed him.

"This is really-"

_**Knock, Knock…**_

Takamichi's jaw fell for a moment as he regarded Evangeline and to his growing excitement she nodded. The elder mage couldn't believe that Negi was actually back after all these passing months. He honestly went out into the world alone and came back! His mellow smirk graced his lips as he walked to the door and he opened it to find the wrong person.

"Hmm?" Takamichi came face to face with a young woman that resembled Chachamaru donning a mage cloak. The obvious difference in her hairstyle as well as the mischievous look on her face is what set them apart rather dramatically.

"Howdy, death-specs." The puppet greeted him much to his confusion.

"Excuse me…but who are you?" Takamichi resisted the urge to push past her and look out into the hallway. "Where's Negi?"

"I'm right here." Negi answered, stepping beside Chachazero. His deeper voice caught Takamichi off guard and his appearance sent shivers down his spine. If he hadn't known better he would have believed it was a teenage version of Nagi standing before him. All the girls stopped what they were doing when they heard the familiar voice but they didn't dare turn their eyes toward the door in fear that their minds were simply playing cruel tricks on them.

_Whoa…_ Negi's eyes observed them closely. Being away for close to a year really made him forget how fast his students could grow. He was actually a little intimidated by their older appearances. _This is going to be pretty awkward. _The young magi took in a deep breath and said, "Wow, you girls sure grow fast." He inwardly snickered at how old he must have sounded with his choice of words. "You're all making me jealous."

Not surprisingly, the first girl to turn her head was the Class President, Ayaka. Her flowing blonde hair bounced as their eyes made contact before she let out a strangled gasp as though the air from her lungs was stolen from her. All the girls turned to her when she clumsily stood up from her seat and cried out, "N-Negi-sensei!" She nearly tripped over her own legs as she ran to him.

"Ayaka-chan!" Negi welcomed her with open arms and she greedily accepted the warm gesture, taking in the sweet scent of his hair when she buried her face in to his red mane. The sounds of her joyful tears were muffled but everyone could hear it. Then as if they were all released from a trance, all the girls rose up from their desks with startling fierceness and before Negi's mind could register their blurs he was flat on his back against the floor! They all peppered his face with affectionate kisses while some of them tried to pry him free from Ayaka so they could embrace him but the class president seemed rather determined to stay put.

_Now this is the sort of scene I remember._ Takamichi grinned as he enjoyed the sight of the girls with smiles on their faces again. Even Setsuna, Zazie and Yue smiled openly. Mana and Chisame weren't present so they weren't around to share the love, though one would wonder if they would show it so openly. The elder mage stole a glance at the terror trio whom all seemed just a tad bit irritated that Negi was being smothered to death by his students and chuckled. Evangeline had her arms crossed with a dull look gracing her lovely features while Chachamaru's expression darkened noticeably. Chachazero tapped her foot impatiently to have her master back.

"Ha, ha, I really missed all of you!" Negi exclaimed. "I could never go a day without thinking about all of you." His sweet moment with all of them stopped short when he felt shivers run through his entire body. His eyes slowly fell upon Evangeline's polished school shoes before trailing up her legs until they came to a stop at the annoyed expression on her face. "Oh…I, uh…felt the same about you Eva-chan. Those emerald eyes-"

_Evangeline narrowed her eyes at him imperceptibly, shutting his mouth instantly…_

_Well, aren't you going to give me a proper greeting? _Evangeline's voice echoed within his mind. _I mean, I know you're being weighed down but you didn't even bother with me when you entered the classroom._

_Oh, E-Eva-chan! _Negi forced a grin as a bead of sweat trailed down the sighed of his forehead. _I-I always save the best for last! That way our time together won't be rushed!_

_Hmm…_The smirk that danced across her lips made his blood run wild with fear. Evangeline and mischief was a mix not meant for this world. _So you've gotten a little smooth over your travels, eh? Well, that should make tonight pretty interesting then. _Evangeline motioned for Chachamaru to follow her out the classroom and the android complied reluctantly. When the vampiress was at the door, she turned her head back to regard him and smiled, exposing her pearly white fangs. _It's been a while since you've taken this girl out for a drink…_

_H-has it?_ Negi swallowed hard after hearing her final telepathic message. _I'll be sure to remedy that! _He waited for her to make her exit and sighed in relief. There was no way he'd be able to deal with his students and his master at the same time…and yet now that he really thought about it, being alone with her would mean no witnesses.

_Oh joy…_

**_-------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Settling down…_**

**_-------------------------------------------------------_**

"Negiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Konoka said his name lovingly as she nuzzled his cheek with her own. She held him tightly against her on the couch while Chachazero watched on motionlessly from his other side with a possessive look on her face. The rest of the girls only restrained themselves from intervening because the young Konoe showed the most concern for the magi over his time gone. To Konoka, having him in her arms again was like being on cloud nine.

"Where did you go?!" Fumika was the first to ask a question.

"What'd you see?!" Fuka naturally followed up.

"Who did you meet?" Yue asked.

"A-any girls?" The way Nodoka asked her question made it sound as though her hopes were on his answer being, "No".

"Any romantic encounters?!" Haruna was practically drooling over his older look. "C'mon, spill the details!"

"Um-"

"Did any news about our rock band travel yet?!" Madoka cut Negi off before he could go on with a reply.

"Yeah, are we popular yet?!" Misa bounced up and down in her seat.

"How's your cousin?" Ako shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Has he spoken to you about me?"

_Chachazero rolled her eyes…_

"Have you been doing your daily training?" Kaede inquired, crossing her arms expectantly for an answer.

"Practicing arts?" Ku-Fei stood in front of the ninja to divert Negi's attention away from her.

"I'll be testing you on your sword katas later." Setsuna told him from Asuna's side. "You mustn't stop practicing even when I'm not around."

"Hey-"

"Did you miss me?!" Ayaka flailed her arms from the back of the group to get his attention. The girls figured that Negi would be safer to approach if the class president was out of the way. "C-can you see meeeeeeeeeeeee?" She cried out for his attention but all the other girl's voices drowned out her pleas.

"Why didn't you send us any cards, huh?!" Makie demanded. "No letters? No phone calls?!"

"You'd think he just forgot about us." Asuna said with a miffed tone of voice. Clearly the red-head was holding in some pent up feelings. That was going to be pretty unhealthy for Negi if she managed to get him alone where nobody could hear him scream…ahem…

"WHOA!" Negi finally managed to cry out, startling Konoka. "I-I'm sorry, Kono-chan." He apologized to her quickly before facing the other girls again. "I know you all have a lot of questions but I can' answer them all at the same time! You're all overloading my mind!" The young magi took a slow breath to recompose his self before asking, "Where is Mana and Chisame-chan?"

"Oh…" Kazumi started out awkwardly. "Well, they kind of just stopped coming after a while."

"What?" Negi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He knew that both girls were pretty much detached from the rest of the class most of the time but the last thing he wanted was for them to just disappear completely.

"Who knows?" Misora shrugged her shoulders.

"Have you seen them anywhere on campus though?" Negi asked.

"I've seen Mana!" Sakurako replied, waving her hand from the center of the group.

"Well, did you ask?" Negi leaned forward on the edge of his seat, awaiting an answer but the sheepish look that graced her face after he asked was enough of an answer for him. The young woman was most likely intimidated by the lovely marksmen. He couldn't blame her. He leaned back and placed his left hand over his face with a deep sigh. _So Chisame is nowhere to be seen and Mana is unreachable because everyone else is just scared of her._

"Hey, Negi-chan!" Kazumi called him.

"Yes?" Negi parted the two fingers that were covering his right eye to regard the photographer. She had not changed much. Naturally, her body was beginning to fill out but her face and hairstyle remained the same.

"So who is she?" She pointed at Chachazero who had been sitting on Negi's other side the entire time. "I've never seen her on campus before...and she's wearing your cloak, isn't she?" Her question stirred quite a bit of commotion from the rest of the girls. Negi didn't realize it but most of them were quite possessive of him. Perhaps not as possessive as Chachazero or Evangeline was but they didn't really want to share him with any strangers regardless.

"This is Zero-chan!" Negi introduced the puppet before feeling her arms wrap around his waist as she leaned against him. She shot Konoka a dirty look and the young woman wisely backed off of Negi.

"Zero?" Asuna said in a questioning tone.

"Sounds familiar." Konoka thought aloud.

_Here goes my chance! _Chachazero thought mischievously before she feigned a romantic expression. She pressed her cheek against his and used her left hand to caress his other cheek. "Yes, that's right!" Her words caught everyone off guard, including Negi who had gone completely stiff from the way his familiar was holding him. "We're inseparable! I met him one romantic evening and I knew that he was mine!"

Negi narrowed his eyes and cried out, "Wait just a seco-"

"I-Is it true sensei?!" Nodoka asked, bordering on hysterical.

"Noooooooooo!" Ayaka's pained scream was completely ignored.

"Oh?" Asuna's eyes sharpened on Negi's form. "Is that so?"

"Mmm-hmm." Chachazero nodded with a grin. "We even spent the night together at an expensive suite after he took me out dancing." Chachazero continued her relentless takeover by overlapping one of Negi's legs with one of her own.

"Uh, um, that's, um, n-not t-t-true!" Negi stammered on and on as his mind hit a brick wall. If it was possible, steam would have been shooting out of his ears by now.

"Oh reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaally?!" Makie clenched her fist in a frightening fashion. "NEGI!"

"Scandalous." Haruna purred. "I'm jealous."

"H-hey! Will you hear me out?!" Negi pleaded.

Takamichi observed the scene from his desk in the corner and bowed his head with a sweat-drop. _Well…the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, now does it?

* * *

_

**_[F] {V} [A]_**

* * *

**_----------------F-------------------------------V---------------------------------A----------------------_**

**_Mahora Festival: Day Two (Date Segment )…_**

**_------------------------------------------------------------------- _**

Negi kept his eyes closed as he allowed himself to wander aimlessly in the sky. After he and Evangeline parted from each other, the girls and the paparazzi came after him. To be frank he didn't really want to talk to anyone at the moment and the last thing he wanted to do was pass on his depressing mood to anyone else. He knew that if the girls saw him in his current state all they would do is try their best to comfort him.

"I don't want to burden anyone with my troubles." Negi whispered to no one in particular. He finally opened his eyes to see one of the flight club's blimps towering over him and zipped away before any of the people on board could get a glimpse of him. "Ah, I keep on forgetting to keep clear of the public!" Negi perked up as his eyes darted for a spot to land. He spotted the bridge nearby and decided to land on one of the two arc tops. There he could see all of Mahora campus with it's lively crowds and stunning attractions.

_Mr. Imma told me it wasn't going to last forever. _A melancholic smile graced his lips. _Instead of moping around I should just be grateful that I was given a chance to see him again. _He raised his head up high and closed his eyes again to savor the light breeze that passed through him. For some reason the feelings he felt from the time his father disappeared began to grow cold. He just couldn't form anymore tears for his own loss. _I can't let this get me down or the festival will pass before I even realize it._

_**You have your own life to live…**_

"Father…" Negi heaved a deep sigh as he allowed his shoulders to relax.

"You don't seem to be in high spirits." A melodic voice suddenly ran from behind Negi, startling the young magi. Who could have possibly followed him up here?

"Huh?" Negi whipped around to face Albireo. The older mage had his hood drawn over his face usual, making it hard to read his expression.

"A-Al- I mean, Ku:Nel? What are you doing up here?" Negi asked.

"I just wanted to know if you were alright." Albireo drew his hood back to reveal his mellow smile. "Are you still depressed after seeing your father?" He cocked his head to the side inquiringly.

"Oh, no!" Negi lied, forcing a small smile. "I'm fine! Really!" He raised a hand as though he was keeping the older mage from coming any closer to him. "Honestly, I'm happy. I mean…thanks for everything."

"So…" Albireo's eyes wandered over to Negi's arm. "Do you want me to heal that wound on your arm? Unlike the one on your cheek, it could leave a scar if you don't tend to it quickly."

_This?_ Negi looked down at his right arm and clutched it almost protectively. "Um, no…" Negi shook his head. "It's alright."

"Very well." The older mage complied with a soft chuckle. He knew that Nagi must have inflicted that wound on him. There would be no other reason that Negi would be so protective of it. _While it may be a little twisted to keep a wound for such a reason…I like the way you look at things, Negi._ "I wonder…" Albireo whispered to the air. "How would you react to this Nagi? Would you cry or laugh?"

"Um, Ku:Nel?" Negi called Albireo's attention when he saw the older mage talking to his self.

"Yes?"

"I have a lot of questions I'd like to ask you."

"Oh, can that wait until after the festival?" Albireo requested with a wink. "It's been a while since I've enjoyed myself."

"Oh…ok." Negi nodded in disappointment.

"So what's next for you?"

"I've got a nodate to attend." Negi replied.

"Oh." Albireo grinned. "A traditional outdoor tea ceremony? How nice. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"…Ok." Negi nodded awkwardly.

"Take care." With that the mysterious man disappeared. Negi took a moment to regard the spot Albireo had occupied moments ago before a smile crossed is lips. He had to admit that his father had some funny taste in friends.

"Weird…" Negi said before his shirt burst open to reveal Chachazero in a startling scene that reminded him of a sci-fi movie Anya forced him to watch. "AH! Oh geez!" Negi clutched his heart as though he almost suffered a stroke. "Chachazero?! What the-I mean c'mon! Were you trying to kill me?!"

"That perked you up!" Chachazero cackled triumphantly. "Is Master Negi still depressed?" Negi couldn't resist the smile that overcame him. She was trying to perk him up so he wouldn't get depressed again. Sure, her methods were rather terrifying but it was the thought that really counted in the end. He took her into both hands and held her out in front of his face before giving her a peck on the forehead.

"You're awesome." Negi complimented her.

"Not as awesome as you were in the tournament!" Chachazero cried out excitedly as she flailed her little arms and legs. "You seriously kicked some major butt in that ring! I'm a little disappointed that you weren't able to go up against the mutt but, hey, beggars can't be choosers right?!"

"Um, thanks." Negi leaned away from her slightly when she started trying to imitate his actions during the matches, swinging her arms and kicking her legs.

"Oh, did I mention how _HOT_ you looked when you were covered in blood?!" Chachazero asked, clasping her hands together in an admiring gesture. "Man, I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my master!" As twisted as her words were, Negi couldn't help but blush...though her words held more than he truly understood. One could only wonder what things the puppet had in mind for her master if she was capable of carrying them out, however, we'll set those fantasies aside for later.

"Well then..." Negi trailed off as his eyes wandered over the sight of the lively campus. Now that the tournament was over, the hard part was just beginning. He still had students expecting visits from him, not to mention some dates. He almost felt shivers remembering the expression on Evangeline's face when she announced that they were still on for a date. His mind had trouble formulating scenarios of what the chibi-vampire might have had in store for him. The young magi's eyes fixated on a small shrine near the very end of the campus. It was stationed near the foot of the stairsteps that lead up to the Tatsumiya shrine.

"That's right!" Negi exclaimed without warning, catching his familiar off guard. "I have to attend the nodate!"

"Oh..." Chachazero mused as she rolled her eyes. "I almost forgot about that." In truth she did her best to try and forget that her master had to attend the outdoor tea ceremony and it went without saying that the reason for that stemmed from the undeniable tension between Chachamaru and herself. The puppet looked up at her master's face for a moment and asked, "Are you going to go to the ceremony like this?" She spoke in regard to his battle worn state. He looked as though he just returned from a visit to the underworld. It was a wonder that his clothes were able to withstand any of the matches he had taken part in.

"I don't think so..." Negi shook his head with a sweat-drop dangling from the side of his forehead. _On the other hand...for some reason I just can't bring myself to go back home-_ Negi's train of thought came to a sudden halt when he realized what he had just done. He referred to Evangeline's house as his home so many times in the past while he was living there with the vampiress but now that the tournament had come to an end he realized that might just come to an end. _Oh, that's right...it's time to move out. I wouldn't want to keep Asuna and Konoka waiting. _"I hope Chachamaru has an extra outfit for me back at the tea house." Negi thought aloud. "Meeting with Eva at her house will be kind of awkward after all those events back at the ring."

"Right." Chachazero agreed with her master's reason. "Especially after that hug she shared with you." The puppet brought to his attention. "I mean...I've never seen her do that to anyone!"

"R-really?" Negi started to blush up to his ears. "W-wow...I guess that's really something, huh?" Negi's voice wavered a bit. He could almost remember the smell on her clothing, now that he really thought about it. There was something a bit off about his master's scent. It just wasn't the scent he usually associated with her.

"What's wrong master?" Chachazero asked when Negi's expression became quite serious.

"Blood." Negi said faintly.

"You thirsty?" Chachazero asked with a hint of fascination.

"That's not what I meant." Negi replied. "When Eva hugged me I could swear she had the scent of someone else's blood on her clothes. It was another scent that I've smelled before." For some reason the very thought sent some unnerving shivers through Negi's body. There was something definitely wrong with the scent on Evangeline's clothing. Negi's jaw locked shut when he felt some odd pulsations from his fangs. Chachazero flinched in her master's arms when a sudden growl came from the young magi's mouth and the veins in his neck bulged.

"Master!" Chachazero called to him but her words fell dead to his ears. He couldn't hear her as his mental defenses were violated by some mysterious influence. Whatever it was, it was forcing something wicked to overcome Negi's sanity. "Hey!" Chachazero punched his arm but she still didn't seem to get through to him.

_TH-THIS FEELING! _Negi inwardly cried out as he legs gave out. He fell to his knees and gripped his shoulders tightly much to Chachazero's discomfort._ It's the same feeling...from the tournament!_

_**Negi...**_

"Huh?!" Chachazero heard Negi gasp as he fought to regain control over his body.

**_Don't resist it. Give in to your destiny..._**

"It's...you!" Negi growled. This voice belonged to the mysterious woman, Chao introduced him to...didn't it? "Stop it!" Negi cried out. "Stop the pain! Please!"

**_Negi! You're hurting yourself by resisting it! Give in and the pain will stop!_**

Chachazero looked around in panic as her master slammed his head against the iron girder under him. This was getting way out of control for her. She wanted to do something to help but she had no idea what was going on so how could she be of any help? "MASTER!" She whimpered. This was the first time she ever felt so scared.

_"Dor...o...thy..."_ Negi growled through his teeth.

_A tear slipped down Negi's right eye as his mind was suddenly assaulted by a vision. The noise from all the students taking part in the festival was drowned in silence and the young magi found his self in the middle of the woods. The pain gradually began to subside and his heightened sense picked up the crunching of a branch underfoot nearby._

_Grrr...hrmm?_ Negi looked up to see a little girl with blonde hair pressing her back against a tree in front of him. Her hair was a mess and there was blood staining her face and her lovely dress. Either she couldn't see him or she simply didn't care to acknowledge his presence; he wasn't sure but she seemed awfully familiar. She was breathing hard from fear...or was it fatigue? Negi's mind was far too scrambled for him to be sure. His eyes darted to another figure when it entered the scene. It was a young man with red hair. In fact...

_"Wait a second...that' s me!" _Negi's eyes went wide with shock when he saw the older version of his self stand before the little girl. He was wearing a black suit complimented by his majestic mage cloak. Chachazero took her respective place upon his shoulder with her usual outfit. It was a sight that almost made Negi watch on in awe. The little girl on the other hand was on full alert at his presence, almost as if he was the cause of her injuries.

"Hey there. I finally caught up with you." Negi smiled warmly at her. He crouched down to be at her eye level and she pressed herself against the tree even harder if it was physically possible. Her nails dug into the bark of the tree and her shoulders rose and fell raggedly. The girl didn't seem to be in a welcoming mood for any advances at the moment but Negi held his hand out to her anyway. "Come on-" Before he could come any closer, the little girl's eyes sharpened upon the older Negi's form intensely and she smacked his hand away viciously. In an almost comical fashion, the older Negi shook his hand a bit to soothe the pain.

**_What? I don't understand..._** The voice that intruded Negi's mind didn't seem to understand the bizarre scene that unfolded before the young magi anymore than he did.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Negi told her softly but the little girl still didn't settle down. A deep madness swirled maliciously within her gold eyes and she snarled, "Come any closer and I'll kill you!" Her muscles tightened when she saw Negi leaned forward again with an outstretched hand. This only served to set her off again. She bared her fangs at him with a growl and lunged at him but Negi took that opportunity to to open his arms to her and take her into a forceful embrace. The girl struggled erratically in his arms as she tried to bite his neck but Chachazero held her head back to protect her master.

"FILTH! I'LL KILL YOU!" The girl snarled. "DIE!"

"I see that you aren't familiar with this sort of contact." Negi said to her softly. She stopped struggling at his words as though trying to understand the meaning behind his words. "I don't understand who would do this to you." He whispered in to her ear. The girl tensed at the feeling of his breath upon her ear and her entire body suddenly went rigid. He added softly, "I would never hurt you." Her eyes glistened with tears at his words and she started struggling again.

"Liar!" She let out an ear splitting shriek that had seemingly no effect on Negi. "That's all you are! A liar!" Negi used his right hand to stroke her head and she became rigid again at his soothing touch.

"No." Negi said softly. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to protect and comfort you." He rested his head against her shoulder and she began to tremble. "Hurting you is the farthest thing from my mind." A strangled sob left her trembling lips as she finally gave into his warm arms went limp and she started to cry freely while Negi kept stroking her head, cooing, "There now. I won't allow anything else to happen to you. I promise."

**_Th-this doesn't make sense! _**The voice sounded genuinely distressed. Negi felt it's hold weakening and his body finally stopped acting against him. Negi shielded his eyes as the scene before him exploded in a flash of brilliant light and immersed him. "Too...much!" Negi could only see red as the light seared through his eyelids before it all went away with a dull darkness that left the young magi's head ringing. He opened his eyes once again, not daring to move in fear that he might mistakenly fall and blinked until he could see all of Mahora campus again from the bridge arc. He heard incomprehensible murmurs until his ears began to process all the noise from the festival properly again.

"Master!" Chachazero cried out in relief. "Are you alright?!"

"...I...don't know anymore." Negi admitted weakly, breathing shallowly. "I don't even remember...what I just experienced. It's all so hazy in my mind now." He got back to his feet unsteadily and resisted the heavy feeling in his chest that worked it's way down into his stomach. It was trying to go in reverse and Negi knew that wouldn't be a pretty sight if he allowed the queasy feeling to take it's course back out of his throat.

"Well?!" Chachazero got his attention. "Aren't you going to do something about this? You're freaking out!"

"Evangeline might...be able to do something about...it..." Negi wheezed. "What happened to me?"

"You mean you don't remember anything?"

"I just remember seeing her..." Negi replied vaguely.

"Her?" Chachazero would have raised an eyebrow in curiosity if her face was capable of making expressions. "Who are you talking about?"

"A woman Chao introduced me to during the Mahora Budokai." Negi answered her. "She never told me her name but for some reason I just can't get her off my mind."

"You actually said something earlier that sounded like a name." Chachazero waved her arms to keep his attention on her since his mind seemed to be wandering off again. "It sounded like you said, _"Dorothy"._"

"Dorothy, huh?" Negi questioned absent mindedly. He began to edge towards the ledge of the bridge arc and the sadistic puppet started flailing her arms, crying out, "What are you doing?!"

"The tea ceremony." Negi said faintly.

"You can't take off yet! You'll hit the-"

_Negi kicked off from the ledge..._

"Water..." Chachazero finished.

_...and headed straight down..._

* * *

_**Turning our attention to the Nodate...**_

_Where is he? _Chachamaru thought to herself as her eyes scanned the entrance from the tea house. So far all the girls had come to attend, dressed at their best. They wore beautiful kimonos with illustrious designs of flowers and other patterns. Most of them had their hair done up with the exception of Ayaka. It was obvious to the android that they had this all done for the exact person she had taken the time to get herself prepared for. _Has he been held up? I would expect for him to be on time..._ Chachamaru balled up her hands upon her lap and bowed her head slightly.

"Perhaps..." Chachamaru paused for a moment as her artificial mind tried to find a logical reason for her sensei's lateness. Surely he wouldn't do this to hurt her feelings. He would never do that. "...The Mistress had taken him back home with her..." It went without saying that it was hard on Chachamaru to live with a rival she couldn't go against. Sure, she may have developed feelings for the young magi long before Evangeline had but for some reason she could see the distance between Negi and the mistress closing much faster than her distance from him. She felt a twinge of jealousy when Evangeline embraced Negi at the ring after his match with his father. She felt helpless. She wanted to be the one to comfort him. She wanted so badly to be the one that he could depend on when his spirits were down but how could she compete with her master? It disturbed her that the one thing that actually made her happy was out of her reach because of the very person she served. "...Should I proceed without him?" She questioned herself.

_No...Negi will show up. He isn't the type of person that would disregard an invitation._ Chachamaru wanted to believe but the more she thought about Evangeline and Negi hugging each other the less hope she had of him ever making his appearance. Her hopes were fulfilled, however, when her scanners picked up a familiar figure approaching the tea ceremony in the distance. She felt a lift when a close up on the figure clarified that it was indeed, Negi Springfield. He looked a little wet but she didn't really care for that at all. As long as he was attending, all was right with her day. "Negi-kun." She rose up from her seat on the porch of the tea house and walked to the entrance to greet the young magi. The girls caught this movement and all smiled when they realized that their teacher had finally come.

"Negi-sensei!" Ayaka waved to him.

"Oh, Negi-kuuuuun!" Sakurako cooed to him loudly.

"Hey!" Fuka cried out childishly. "Over here! Come over here!"

"No! Sit by me!" Fumika practically shoved her hand in her sister's face and used her other hand to pat the spot beside her.

"Sit with a real woman cutie!" Misa purred.

"But we're all the same age..." Yuna argued. Negi watched his students vying for his attention but as usual he was quite oblivious to their affectionate gestures.

"Welcome Negi-kun." Chachamaru greeted him with a bow when she received him at the entrance. Her eyes darted over to Chachazero for a moment but other than that she didn't express her distaste for her sadistic counterpart. If she was to become much closer to the object of her desires she could nnot allow herself to be consumed by such trivial matters. It wasn't like Chachazero could ever be capable of winning his affections _"that" _way anyway, right? She was nothing more than his familiar; quite incapable of ever satisfying his needs for companionship.

"Hi there Chachamaru!" Negi greeted her in a chipper fashion but Chachamaru was able to see through his cheerful facade. He simply didn't want to get others depressed by allowing his own true feelings to show. She found herself blushing a little when Negi took a moment to take in her appearance. She found the thought of his eyes roaming over her quite pleasant. "You look beautiful Chachamaru!" He exclaimed much to the other girl's envy. Did he notice them the least bit?!

"Th-thank you Negi-kun." Chachamaru averted her eyes for a moment to recover from his words.

"I'm sorry though..." Negi apologized sheepishly as he massaged the back of his neck, "I err...didn't come dressed too well for the occasion." That was, of course, an understatement seeing as how he was wearing the exact same clothes that he wore for the tournament. His clothes were back at Evangeline's house, which was really the last place he wanted to go to. He plucked his sleeve, still a little damp from his plunge into the water earlier and added, "I somehow managed to get myself wet too." His words amused Chachamaru but she didn't show it outwardly.

"Not to worry Negi-kun." Chachamaru assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I am sure I can find something for you to wear." She guided him towards the tea house and went on, "Allow me to get you fitted into some appropriate attire."

"Um, sure." Negi nodded.

**_------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Setting our sights upon a certain duo..._**

**_------------------------------------------------------_**

"Things are turning up now. Gandolfini-san and the others say that Chao is up to more mischief." Mei grumbled miserably, walking beside her superior. They had gotten freshened up from the tournament to return to their confession scouting duty, however, Takane's mind seemed to be much more focused on things other than the duyt assigned to her, which wasn't surprising for her underling. "H-hey, are you listening onesan?!" Mei called the blonde magistress's attention.

"Huh?!" Takane blurted out when she was broken out of her daze. Her sudden unexpected reaction made Mei flinch. "Were you saying something?" Takane asked innocently.

"...Yeah." Mei answered darkly. "I was."

"What's the matter?"

" How about the fact that we were facing an army of robots underground a few hours ago?!" Mei was bordering on hysterical, "How about that?!"

"Right, well Gandolfini is on the case." Takane replied.

"Huh?" Mei blinked. This wasn't the Takane she knew from before. The Takane she knew would be fired up at the idea of such a case. She would be trying to take Chao down even as they spoke but right now that didn't seem to be the case at all. "Well, aren't you the least bit...I don't know...um, concerned that this sort of situation is going on?"

"Of course I am Mei." Takane replied, rolling her eyes.

"You sure don't look like it."

"What can we really do about it at this point?" Takane asked, placing a hand on her hip. "If we go blowing things up during the fesitval, there's a chance we could really risk our cover." The blonde magistress wagged a finger in Mei's face. "I'm sure Gandolfini will have everything under control soon. We've caught Chao in the past. This shouldn't be any harder from the times before."

"...I don't know..." Mei furrowed her brows. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Takane waved her concern away casually before placing her hand on her throat for a moment. "I am a little thirsty though." She mumbled. She didn't exactly understand why, but Negi came to mind for some reason. Why would she be associating him with her thirst? _Now that I really think about it...he's been on my mind a lot lately. _

"Why are you blushing?" Mei inquired curiously when a deep rosy shade washed over Takane's cheeks.

"N-no reason." Takane answered quickly. "Let's grab something to drink, huh?"

"Sure." Mei wasn't about to turn that down. She was a little thirsty herself. "So, um, how do you think Negi-kun is doing?" Her question made Takane blink. Oh, why did she have to bring him up? She was having enough trouble as it was trying to convince herself that she wasn't obsessing over him. What else could she call it when she would take up any opportunity to be near him, whether it be fighting him in the ring or finding some excuse to hang out with him? To make matters worse, it gradually didn't seem to disturb her anymore that Negi was becoming such a big factor in her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Takane played coy.

"You know..." Mei lowered her voice as though she thought Negi could hear her, "after his whole meeting with his father and all. I hear that he cried."

"...He did?" That caught Takane's attention. "Wait a second..." She raised an eyebrow in perturbation. "How did he meet with his father again?! The Thousand Master actually showed up at the Mahora Budokai?" That was some shocking information and for her to miss that chance at getting a real live glimpse at the legend was enough to unnerve her to the core.

"Well, I hear it was an illusion." Mei sounded unsure of her own choice of words. "Actually...it's really complicated but I know that Negi-kun is feeling really down because of it." The red-head saw an indescribable expression wash over Takane's face for a moment as though the magistress was trying her best to make a hard decision. Something told her that it might have had something to do regarding the young magister. "Are you worried about him?" Mei grinned.

"M-me?" Takane asked defiantly. "Of course not. He doesn't need anyone worrying about him. I'm sure he can take care of himself." And yet even as she said that she couldn't help but want to be by his side right now to console him. "Hmm..."

"Hey, Ako, wait up!" Takane and Mei turned their attention to Madoka who was trying unsuccessfully to catch up with Ako in her kimono. The cheerleader didn't want to get it dirty but so far she managed to drag it behind her most of the way.

"We'll be late for the tea ceremony if we walk any slower!" Ako called back to her friend. "Come on!"

_Tea ceremony?_ Takane licked her lips at the thought of something to quench her thirst. She rubbed the side of her cheek when her canines started tingling oddly. "That feels so weird." She mumbled to herself as she kept her eyes on the pair.

"Negi's gonna be there too, isn't he?" Madoka's mention of the young magi's name caught Takane's interest.

"That's what I heard from everyone else!" Ako replied.

"Great! I really want to see him after what happened back at the tournament." Madoka voice got soft.

"Yeah...me too." Ako nodded. Takane and Mei's eyes followed the two students as they walked along to the tea house and the blonde magistress gripped her right arm.

"...Let's follow them." Takane said.

"I figured you'd say that." Mei smiled.

_**------------------------------------------------**_

_**Back to Negi and Chachamaru...**_

_**------------------------------------------------**_

Negi took a seat on a chair against the wall while Chachamaru opened a nearby closet in the changing room to seek a change of clothes for him. It had been a while since Negi had any time alone with the android and for some reason he couldn't shake off this sudden feeling of nervousness that crept up on him. His eyes lingered on her back for a moment before he bowed his head and sighed. The heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach had yet to disappear. No matter how much he tried to shake off the melancholy feeling it just wouldn't leave him. He remembered this feeling well when he was back at Wales, trying his best to live up to his father's name but when he came to Mahora that all went away. He had so much fun with all the girls that it didn't plague him as much but the feeling of loss had returned and this time he wasn't sure when it was going to lighten it's grip on his heart.

His melancholy demeanor wasn't lost on Chachamaru. When he was looking away she kept on stealing quick glances at him over her shoulder. "Here we are." She announced, pulling out a black kimono. She held it out for Negi to admire and closed the closet door when he nodded in approval.

"That's going to look cool on you, master Negi." Chachazero commented from his shoulder.

"Thanks Chacha-chan." Negi did his best to smile at his familiar. His affectionate title for the puppet made Chachamaru feel a slight jerk in her gears and she almost pulled the young magi up to his feet rather forcefully.

"Whoa." Negi massaged the shoulder of the arm she pulled to soothe the soreness. "I'm still a little sore from the tournament." He groaned.

"M-my apologies." Chachamaru bowed.

"That's alright." Negi smiled warmly.

"You did quite well in the tournament, Negi-kun."

"Thanks."

"You were wonderful on the ring and your techniques have improved." Chachamaru complimented. "I'm sure that you can now best me in a one on one match."

"S-seriously?" Negi laughed. "I doubt it!"

"Very well. Let us get you changed." She caught Negi off guard when she began by plucking Chachazero off his shoulder to set her down on the window sill. Chachazero shot her a dirty look as the android turned away from her and the look even grew darker when Chachamaru proceeded by peeling Negi's cloak off and lying it on the arm rest of the chair that the young magi was sitting on.

_For some reason...doing this fills me with a rather pleasurable sensation. _Chachamaru thought with a light blush as she started to unbutton Negi's shirt much to his growing discomfort. He never expected Chachamaru to undress him personally. This wasn't something he was very familiar with at all. When she was done unbuttoning his shirt she pulled it off of him gently and made him raise his arms to pull of his muscle shirt.

Negi's hair feathered over his face when it fell back down after the shirt passed over his head and he regarded Chachamaru as she held the top part of the kimono in her hand. She seemed to be in some deep thought. "What's the matter Chachamaru?"

"Are you alright?"

"What do you mean?" Negi quirked an eyebrow.

"I speak in regard to your meeting with your father." Chachamaru clarified for him. She saw a slight twitch in his bottom lip and she inwardly cringed. "Are you still...depressed?"

"Um, me?" Negi asked rather tactlessly. "No, I'm fine."

"You seem to be the total opposite." Chachamaru observed. "I'm worried for you. Is there anyway I can help to alleviate your pain?" Her words came out sounding a bit hesitant as though she wasn't sure of her own choice of words. Her hands tightened around the fabric between her fingers and she pleaded. "Please tell me Negi-kun. I would like to comfort you in any way I possibly can."

"No really...I'm fine." Negi assured her unconvincingly. "Thank you though." He never expected her to be this worried about his well being. Something in him made him feel guilty for doubting it. They were friends after all, right?

Chachamaru leaned over to him to inspect that bandages that were wrapped around her injuries and asked, "These wounds...do they hurt?"

"No." Negi blushed at her closeness.

"Are you sure?" She persisted as she leaned in a little closer.

"I-I'm fine! Really!" Negi's skin burned crimson. Chachamaru nodded slowly after regarding him silently as though trying to search for the truth within his eyes. Negi wasn't the best liar but the android decided not to push the matter any further. She helped him slip on the haori and stepped back to admire his appearance with a slight smirk. She made sure to take a picture of him with her built in camera to transfer it to her "Favorites" folder. This one was a keeper.

"So..." She paused to take his damp clothes and hang them on the chair to dry before continuing, "I understand that your time with us is coming to an end."

"Oh." Negi's eyes drooped when he understood the meaning of her words. "Yeah...that's right." He ran his hand through his hair out of habit and went on, "Asuna and Konoka are really going to be expecting me back soon. You know...after everything that happened the day I left." He gradually found that he couldn't face Chachamaru. "I, uh, promised them."

"Yes, I know." Chachamaru nodded sagely. "When will you move out?"

"Probably later tonight." Negi answered her.

_Silence followed..._

"Tell me." Chachamaru started off, draping the hakama over her forearm. "Did you enjoy your stay with us?" Her eyes bore into his own with it's apparent hunger for an answer. He'd never seen this sort of intensity in her eyes before and needless to say, it unsettled him. He was tempted to look back at Chachazero to see if she was still present in the room. She had been unusually quiet as of late and this conversation was beginning to go down a path he didn't want to stray towards. His mouth was starting to get dry and his eyes were averting away from the lovely android no matter how hard he tried to stay focused on her.

"Of course I enjoyed my stay with you guys!" Negi blurted out. "You don't think I'm glad that I'm leaving, do you?"

"...No." Chachamaru answered him. She placed her hand on the sash of his pants to loosen it and the young magi went completely stiff. "I merely wished to know if you preferred living with us as opposed to living with Kagurazaka and Konoe."

"Chachamaru..." Negi was at a loss for words. By now he could tell where she was going with this conversation. Was it that she didn't want him to leave? "I can't answer that sort of question."

"Why not?" She asked bluntly, looking up at him.

"B-because it just wouldn't be fair." Negi placed his hands over hers when she was about to pull down his pants. "I-I can do this myself...you don't need to do i-" He had no time to finish as she relieved him of them anyway. He underestimated how strong she was.

"I want to." She answered simply. "Negi...I wish for you to stay with us."

"Wait-"

"I would not feel the same if you were to leave."

"Chachamaru, please don't force me into this sort of situation." Negi placed his hands on her shoulders and pleaded, "Just don't!" Their eyes locked on to each other for an awkward moment and the android looked away.

"My apologies. It was not my intention to discomfort you in anyway." She bowed her head and went on, "It's just that gradually I have found myself developing a rather strong fondness for you. I am so used to the idea of seeing your face every morning and talking with you that I don't want to let go of that feeling."

"But we can do that at class."

"No...I fear that you don't fully understand the meaning of my words." Chachamaru leaned her head against his chest and remained motionless. "I realize that...I..."

"You..." Negi urged her on.

"...I have feelings for-"

"Hey guys..." Both Negi and Chachamaru whipped their heads in the direction of the door when Chisame's voice suddenly rang in out of nowhere. The net idol stared at them quietly, scrutinizing their awkward position before turning away without a word and closing the door behind her. Negi looked away from the android in embarrassment, and she did the same with a blush.

"Ch-chachamaru...what were you saying?"

"I find it hard to recall at the moment."

_Silence..._

"Maybe we should call Chisame back before she runs off with the wrong idea."

"My thoughts exactly." With that both of them rushed to the sliding door to try and call to the net idol before she was out of sight. Negi didn't even bother to kick his pants off his legs so as he ran, he fell on top of Chachamaru as she opened the door to call out Chisame's name.

"Umph!" They both fell to the floor on each other.

"Chisame!" Negi called out to her fleeting form and the student surprisingly came to a stop. That was sort of unexpected. He inwardly expected her to just keep on walking off. "Come back!"

"I think not!" She yelled back at them as though they were impure.

"Chisame-san! There may have been a grave misunderstanding!" Chachamaru held out her hand desperately. She wasn't sure if Chisame was the type to gossip, however, if she was, then there was a chance that this sort of information could reach Evangeline and...the android probably would never see better days after that.

"Just leave me alo-"

"W-wait!" Negi suddenly appeared in front of her in his boxers.

"GAH!"

* * *

**_Ahem...on with the Nodate..._**

"There we are." Takane grinned as she slipped on the kimono she sto-um, found. It kept on slipping off her shoulders due to the fact that it was a size larger but it did well to accommodate her. She clutched it to her chest with her right hand to keep from revealing herself to any onlookers and mind you, there were many. "Mei!" She called to her underling in a harsh whisper. "Come on already! We'll stand out if we attend the ceremony late!"

"But...onesan..." Mei walked out behind the curtain, pulling up the Kimono so she wouldn't trip over it. "Isn't this wrong?"

"Wrong? We're doing this for the sake of duty!" Takane pumped her fist in the air nobly. "Never forget that!" Her words made Mei sweat-drop. She could've sworn that they were done with the spying missions long ago when the blonde started getting closer to the young magi. Where the heck did this mission get pulled out of?

"I thought we were doing this for the sake of friendship." Mei said dully. "You know...to console Negi-chan." She inwardly smacked herself for letting that _"Chan" _slip out. Well, hopefully Takane wouldn't notice it, although with the way her superior's hand twitched, she wasn't sure if it slipped by so easily. She decided to go on regardless, plucking the summer rose kimono she had on as though it burned her very finger tips. "Isn't this a bit much."

"Did anyone die, Mei?" Takane asked with a mischievous grin that looked so out of place on her lovely lips. It brought to question just how Negi's bite was affecting her personality.

"N-no..." Mei answered nervously.

"Then we didn't go too far." Takane concluded, taking her underling's hand before hurrying over to the tea ceremony. Unbeknownst to the duo, there was a sharp pair of eyes watching their every move and it was finding these turn of events rather interesting. There was a chilling click from the person's rifle as she loaded in a rubber bullet followed by a smirk that would have made anyone's blood run cold.

_"Takane Goodman if I'm not mistakened, hmm?" _Mana questioned no one in particular as she crossed her legs on the ledge she was sitting upon. She had been keeping her eyes on the blonde magistress for a while and something was beginning to become quite apparent to the lovely marksman. _"It looks like our precious Negi may have more on his hands than he can possibly handle."_ Mana's eyes softened for a moment. _"I can't have anything happening to him, now, can I?"_

"OH NEGI-KUUUN!" Makie waved at the handsome boy as he walked out of the tea house accompanied by Chachamaru and Chisame. It was a surprise to all of the girls that Chisame decided to attend. As bubbly as many of them may have seemed, they were quite aware of Chisame's obvious dislike for them.

"It's Hasegawa!" Madoka said out loud with a smile. "Nice look!" She complimented the net idol much to her growing discomfort. She didn't like to be the center of attention when it came to these weirdoes.

"See? I told you that you'd look pretty." Negi whispered to her with a smile, eliciting a blush from the girl.

"Shut it." Chisame growled to him from the corner of her mouth. _I don't even know why I decided to participate..._ She stole a glance at Negi and turned away quickly to conceal the rosy hue on her cheeks. _Damn kid..._ She didn't understand this kid at all most of the time. It vexed her even more as to how he was able to attract so many girls that were older than him. The Class president had an excuse...sort of but with the plethora of young women that seemed to be literally throwing themselves at him, Chisame was finding it hard to grasp. _As if the class wasn't enough! Now that he has fangirls from the tournament I don't think he'll ever be safe._

_**------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_"Hey Negi, would you hurry up already?!" Chisame yelled at the young magi. They were walking side by side on the streets of Mahora city and due to Chisame's long legs, Negi was finding it rather hard to keep up._

_"Alright Chisame-chan!" Negi nodded quickly, trying to hasten his pace. "H-hey! Can you wait up?" His plea made Chisame roll her eyes and she kept walking but when he suddenly became very quiet to the point that she couldn't hear his frantic steps, she found herself getting a little worried. "Um, "Chisame turned around to find nobody behind her, "N-negi?"_

_A fangirl dressed in a black ninja garb pulled a tranquilizer dart out of the young magi's neck and dragged him deeper into the darkness of the alley where she could do what she pleased with his unconscious form. Chisame felt chills run down her spine when she heard a chillingly sweet voice triumphantly cry out, "MINE!"_

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

"Um, Chisame?" Negi wvaed his hand in front of the young woman's face when he found her spacing out.

"H-hwha?!"Chisame flinched when she was pulled out of her disturbing thoughts. She whipped her head to face Negi quickly and asked, "W-what to you want?!"

"N-nothing." Negi squeaked. "It just looked like you were daydreaming."

"I was just thinking, alright?"

"Okey-doke." Negi nodded quickly. He turned away from the net idol to face his elegantly dressed students, who all had expectant looks on their faces. Negi may have been pretty dense when it came to desires of females, however, it wasn't hard for him to tell that they were waiting to receive some sort of compliment from him. They went so far as to pose for him. "U-um, "Negi swallowed when he noticed two certain female mage among the girls, "You all look beautiful!" He didn't notice the expression that passed briefly upon Chisame's face at his compliment for all the girls.

"Hey! Look over here!" Sakurako and Misa called his attention to strike a pose.

"Ha, ha! Nice! You all look very nice!" Negi clapped with a light hearted laugh. All the girls were relieved to see a smile on his face again. Chisame on the other hand just hated how the girls looked in their kimonos. They hardly had to put any effort in their appearance to look stunning.

_Geez. _She slapped a hand on her forehead in frustration. _This is why I hate hanging around these guys..._ Her eyes lingered on Negi's smiling face for a moment. _Well, at least he doesn't look all mopey like before. _She went on alert when Chachamaru grabbed a hold of Negi's hand and led him to the large mat that covered the ground. There a large tea set was elaborately arranged for all who was to attend the Nodate. Chisame, like the other girls followed in procession and took a seat on the mat. Takane and Mei did their best to try and sit as close as possible to Negi and Chachamaru, however, with other participants who had such in mind like Ayaka and Misa, that proved to be a hard task to accomplish indeed. Takane caught Ayaka throw a triumphant look in her direction and fumed. Apparently the other blonde still held her in regard as a rival for the young teacher's affections...touche...

"Here you are Negi-kun." Chachamaru offered him a cup of tea and Negi accepted it gratefully. The feeling of the steam that rose from the semi-transparent liquid calmed the young magi as it caressed his face in deep slivers. His mind was at such peace as he lifted the cup to his lips that he didn't notice how his facial mask dropped to reveal it's true melancholy nature. He also didn't notice every one of his students, with the inclusion of Takane and Mei, watching intently as he took his first sip and let out a deep sigh that sent pleasant shivers down all their spines. Even Chisame couldn't help but feel chills at how mature the boy could look when he wasn't trying to cheer others up. Sometimes she wondered if he even realized that his behavior had no trace toward his age.

_Negi-sensei, you are such an enigma, you know? _Chisame thought, furrowing her brow. _We all know about the situation regarding your father, but...I still can't help but want to know more about your life. When did your childhood leave you?_

Takane took a sip from her cup of tea, her eyes never leaving the young magi, and bowed her head. She wasn't sure if it was just because of the way Negi looked at the moment but she suddenly felt a wave of depression pass through her as though she was receiving some of the weight in the young magi's heart. _Where is your mind right now, Negi-kun? I came here in hopes of relieving you of your sadness and yet I watch a young man before me that is out of my reach. Why do you feel so distant? Why can't I ever figure you out?_

"Onesan?" Mei nudged her superior in the arm and the blonde looked over towards her with the same expression on her face that Negi had on his. It looked pretty surreal for a moment to Mei. "Are you...alright?"

"Yeah." Takane answered in a manner that simply stated the complete opposite of the message that she was trying to send through her words. "Why?"

"You look as though something terrible happened to you."

"Do I?" Takane cocked her head to the side. "To tell you the truth I just started to feel a little sad from seeing Negi." Or so she assumed seeing as how there was no other logical explanation...that was unless one were to say that the reason she felt this way was due to her faint bond with Negi. Just as Negi would feel slight waves of emotion from Evangeline, Takane would experience the same exact feeling, however, due to the fact that Negi isn't as good as Evangeline in masking his emotions, the blonde magistress felt his feelings all the more.

"It's delicious." Negi told Chachamaru softly.

"Thank you very much." Chachamaru bowed to him. She held out her hand to him to receive his cup and he placed it in her hand, their hands sliding against each other briefly when he pulled back. The sensation of their hands making such contact was enough for Chachamaru to feel a slight electric sensation run up her arm in pleasure. After she was done serving him another cup, she handed it back to him in hopes of getting that feeling again only to be left in disappointment when it was a clean pass.

_Should I have swallowed my fear and told him how I felt? _Chachamaru shook her head somberly and looked up towards the sky. _As much as I truly wish to confess my feelings for him...I know that it would do nothing more than burden his mind with more than he could handle._ She let her gaze fall to the mat as she heaved a sigh. _That wouldn't be fair towards him with all that he must deal with now. Especially with Ms. Lingshen's plans..._

While all of this deep thought went on within the minds of these complex characters, Misa and the other girls had much lighter things on their mind regarding Negi. For example-

"Who guys, did you see the expression on Negi's face?" Misa whispered to Madoka and Fumika. The girls didn't not but Misa naturally went on anyway. "That's not the sort of look you'd expect to see on the face of a ten-year-old!" Her rant caught the attention of Takane who went, "What?"

"Hmm?" Misa turned to Takane and blinked a few times in curiosity. "I've never seen you around here before." She mused, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Me neither." Madoka shook her head.

"Nope," Fumika crossed her arms before her eyes wandered over to Mei, "Haven't seen her before either."

"That's right..." Madoka said before a light gasp of surprise escaped her. "W-wait a second! I remember you!" She pointed an accusing finger at Takane, causing the blonde magistress to blush in embarrassment because she knew exactly where this was going. "Y-you're the girl that kept on stripping naked during the matches!"

_...That did it..._

"You say it as though I did it on purpose!" Takane hissed, back to her old self.

"Whoa. Easy there." Madoka edged away.

"Hey, you're right there Madoka." Misa said with a grin before extending a hand to Takane. "Always great to meet a celebrity." She let her hand fall, however, when Takane did nothing more than stare at her in annoyance. Misa chuckled sheepishly and went on, "Well, what I was saying was, Negi behaves like an adult for his age, doesn't he?"

Takane couldn't go against that. She experienced just how old the young magi could behave...even when it wasn't his fault. "Yes, I agree." Takane nodded. "Sometimes I forget that he's a boy."

_Sometimes?_ Mei rolled her eyes at the irony of her words but said nothing about it. She watched as Misa gathered Madoka, Fumika, and Takane near her and sighed. She didn't know where this conversation was going but she could already tell that she didn't want to find out.

"I just realized something!" Misa suddenly said, an imaginary light bulb coming to life over her pretty head. Madoka and Takane leaned in further with intrigue while Fumika tried her best to squeeze into the conversation since she was the furthest away. "Negi is just...five years younger than we are, right?!"

"Um, yeah!" Madoka nodded quickly.

"And that' pretty normal for celeb couples!" The drool was beginning to form on the side of Misa's mouth as her mind took a deep plunge into the sinister side.

"Err...where is this heading?" Takane and Madoka questioned, feeling slightly disturbed.

"W-well, imagine it!" Misa drew an imaginary bubble over her hand. "If we score points with Negi now, in four or five years we'll have a chance at having a total hottie for a boyfriend! Think about it! Good looking-" _Fuka and Yuna turned their attention to the conversation, _"Intelligent-" _That got Sakurako's attention, _"Strong!" _Makie looked up from her tea in curiosity. _"What girl wouldn't want a boyfriend like that?!" Misa presented them with the question.

_Oh geez..._ Chisame shook her head after overhearing the conversation._ Those girls can't be serio-_

"You're a genius Kakizaki!"

"Awesome!"

"Sweet!"

Before Chisame could act as the voice of reason to counteract Misa's scheme, the girls who were listening had rushed up before Negi to offer him their tea. The first was Sakurako, who had gotten ahead of all the rest of the girls with her tea prepared for Negi's palate. "Here Negi! Try my tea!" She held the steaming cup filled with her concoction for Negi to drink and he hesitantly received it from her. Chachamaru cocked her head to the side curiously at this act. Just what were these girls planning for her Negi?

"How is it?!" Sakurako eagerly awaited his answer but Madoka shoved her to the side before Negi could answer and held her cup up to him. "H-hey-"

"Try mine, Negi-kun." She slipped in a flirtatious wink with her words that made Negi sweat-drop. He didn't feel safe with the libidinous look in her eyes when she did that.

"O-okay." Negi nodded, taking the cup from her, however, as he drank, Fuka snatched the cup out of his hands and Fumika pushed Madoka aside.

"Try ours!" they chirped.

"Hey now!" Ayaka finally cried out when all the chaos succeeded in annoying the hell out of her. "Leave him alone!" She hissed at them with a menacing scowl. When the other girls were successfully settled down, the class president turned back to Negi and dabbed a wet spot on his haori with her hankerchief. "Oh look, the nerve of those commoners. They've gotten you dirty."

"It's alright Ayaka-chan." Negi assured her with an awkward chuckle.

"No it's not!" The blonde growled. "All they do is harass you!" She turned to the tea set before them to serve him another cup properly but to her surprise it was so hot that she dropped it before she could hand it to him. The result ended with her falling to the side when the scalding drink fell on her lap and she mistakenly mooned the hapless youth in the process.

_Mei coughed out her drink._

"Aw, no fair!" Fuka whined.

"Yeah! Cheating your way ahead by flashing Negi-kun!" Fumika cried out with a devilish grin.

_Hmm..._The lecherous gears in Misa's head started cranking and- "Oop!" She _'accidentally' _dropped her cup of tea...resulting in her mooning, Negi. The other girls caught on with what was going on and before, Negi could recover, all the girls were accidentally dropping their cups of hot tea.

"Will you girls stop it already?!" Chisame roared in horror.

"Now is my chance..." Takane grinned when she saw how easily Negi was to reach in all the chaos. Chachamaru was much too busy trying to save the tea set from being shattered to pieces and Chisame was in rage mode. _Finally mas-_ "Huh?" Takane blinked. What was she about to think right now? She had no time to reflect because all of the chaos managed to attract a group of paparazzi members nearby. They rushed in with their cameras and at the sight of Negi, Mei and Takane, they began flashing like crazy!

"Mr. Springfield!" A female reporter called out his name, holding out a mic. "An interview please!"

"AH!" Negi's eyes went wide with fright. "I forgot about them!" It didn't take the young magi too much time to get to his feet and make some serious tracks.

"Wait!" Takane cried out to him but Negi was far too busy trying to put some distance between himself and the tea house that he didn't pay her any mind. "Cripes! Darn reporters!"

"Onesan!" Takane whipped around to see her underling being hounded by a few reporters and she rushed into the pandemonium to save her.

"I'm coming, Mei!"

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Paying a visit to the dark side...  
_**

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

Chao sighed as she opened her eyes to find the hall that she was standing in empty. Gandolfini, Takamichi and the rest of the mages were nowhere to be seen, meaning that she traveled forward into time successfully. That was a relief because for a moment there they almost had her in their clutches. "That Gandolfini sure is getting quicker. He always manages to catch up to me somehow but not anymore." Chao slipped her Cassiopeia watch out of the pocket of her deep sleeve and smirked. "It may not be as perfect as your prototype mother but it's still good for something." Her expression hardened when she recalled something important. "Oh, that's right...my window out of here should be opening in a few hours."

The Chinese scientist hurried down the halls of the empty arena, looking over her back to make sure that one of Gandolfini's spies weren't still around. She wasn't about to underestimate that man after that last close shave. It was getting dark outside. She wondered what Negi was up to. Was he out somewhere with Evangeline? It kind of irked her as to how close he was with the Undying wizard. Rather, that wasn't the proper word. It "worried" her. "I thought it was simply a friendship shared between them before but now I'm seeing something romantic developing." Chao narrowed her eyes as she stroked her chin in deep thought. "Hopefully Negi doesn't pick up on Eva's feelings too quickly. Then there's the matter regarding Mistress Dorothy..."

_Her interest in Negi-chan disturbs me more than Evangeline's developing feelings. _Dorothy did express that she wanted to bring Negi over to her side in many instances and that could pose a problem to Chao's future as well. She wasn't sure if the Dark Mistress's interests in Negi were based on affections or simply obsession but she didn't want Dorothy to place her hands on him regardless. "Now that I really think about it...where is the Mistress?" Chao felt a horrible feeling building in the pit of her stomach as her thoughts wandered to some possible scenarios. None of them did well to comfort her. "Dammit. Don't tell me that she already made a move." She bit her thumb in panic. "But...she went to face Evangeline didn't she? Evangeline couldn't have possibly lost against her...could she?"

Chao didn't leave anymore time to her thoughts as she began to run. "I need to keep Negi away from her! I need to keep him safe with me!" Her vampiric senses went wild after she uttered her final words and she came to a sudden halt. Whatever it was that was causing this ominous feeling, it was closing in on her from all sides. "What the..." Chao's muscles tensed when she realized who was the owner of the ominous presence. "Looks like I spoke to soon."

**_Oh, did you think that I was gone?_** Dorothy's voice rang through the halls as the dying light from outside had suddenly become consumed by an eerie curtain of darkness. Chao's eyes darted around on full alert as she felt the temperature drop at an astounding level. She felt an unusual weight push down against her body and movement had suddenly become a hard task for the scientist.

"Mistress Dorothy?!" Chao grit her teeth when a thick cloud of darkness rolled into the hall and gathered at a single point before morphing into a tall form. A head formed and worked it's way down until Chao could make out the figure of a woman. Finally the darkness dissipated and Dorothy could be made out quite clearly. Her gold eyes twinkled back at Chao with a deep frightening madness as her lips curled into a smirk.

"I see that you made it out of the tournament without getting apprehended." Dorothy observed, crossing her arms. A breeze filled the halls though the open windows causing the Dark Mistress's majestic cloak to flap to the side.

"And I see that Evangeline didn't manage to kill you." Chao retorted with a smirk that rivaled Dorothy's. Both vampires spent a moment in silence staring at each other until Dorothy offered Chao a slow round of applause that made the scientist's hair stand on end.

"So it would seem that we both expected the other to fail." Dorothy giggled maniacally. "As I said before, you truly are your mother's daughter."

"Why, thank you." Chao mocked her.

"Now that we have that out of the way..." The smirk on the Dark Mistress's face had gone away and her playful gaze had sharpened upon Chao intensely. Chao naturally felt something coming after observing Dorothy's subtle change and slowly got in position to move quickly if necessary. "I understand that you wish to keep, Negi away from me." Dorothy started walking forward, forcing Chao to step away. "You are wise in trying to do so, I'll not deprive you of that property. Naturally if I managed to have the darkling join me, your future would be at stake."

"He would never meet mother." Chao narrowed her eyes at the Mistress despite her growing fear. "More importantly, you would corrupt him!"

"Oh, shut it." Dorothy rolled her eyes. "You must realize that in Negi's eyes, you're the villain of this tragic tale." She sensed the uneasiness in Chao and continued, "How could you ever be able to protect him when he would want nothing to do with you?" She observed the Chinese girl's face and saw a twitch. She managed to strike a cord in the supposedly untouchable girl and if she kept on this relentless assault she just might be able to throw off her cool.

"Well, it would put a bit more ease on my mind if you weren't around."

"Oh?" Dorothy came to a halt and smiled, baring her lethal fangs. "So I assume that you believe that you can just make me...disappear?" She let out an amused chuckle that served to do nothing more than annoy Chao. "Even your mother knew her limits!"

"Stop comparing me to her! What do you seriously know about her anyway?!"

"For one, "Dorothy grinned, "she was weak and foolish." The Dark Mistress threw back her mantle so her arms were exposed. "And I now see that her daughter is no different."

"W-what?" Chao blinked.

"And just as she died by my hands-"

"WHAT?!" Chao screamed to the Dark Mistress's pleasure.

"-You will suffer the same fate."

The knuckles in Chao's left hand cracked as she bit her bottom lip. Her fangs punctured her delicate skin and the blood trickled down her chin, dripping down to the floor. "You're horrible..." Chao said in a low voice that sounded like a hostile snarl. "Do you realize what your treachery caused me? Can you even begin to understand what it caused my father?" She surprised Dorothy by taking a step forward. "I lost him that night. He left and he never came back."

"Yes, I know." Dorothy smiled. "He allowed himself to be consumed in order to avenge the one that he lost. That was the final step in truly bringing him forth from the shackles you all so quaintly call, humanity." The Dark Mistress whipped her hand to the side, "And he could have been mine. I could have showed him greatness if that damn _"Thousand Master"_ didn't show up."

"I'm setting things right this evening. I won't allow you to have Negi!" Chao declared before ripping off her dress to reveal her enhanced suit. "Even if my vampiric abilities don't measure up to your own, I have the powers of science at my disposal." She dropped into an elaborate fighting stance and faced Dorothy. "Have at you."

Dorothy regarded her with a bored expression and feigned a yawn. _"Very well. I was going to dispose of you sooner or later anyway."_

* * *

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Intermission..._**

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

Negi grinned at the view of Mahora campus from the skies above. Not much had changed since he left on his travels. Even though his students had matured a bit, they all had retained a few of their old qualities when they had seen him again. Asuna was still her old self although she had become a little nicer to him. Nodoka was way more open with him than she was before and the same could be said of Yue. Both librarians actually managed to hold a conversation with him without succumbing to their usual stammers and mishaps. Haruna on the other hand kind of frightened him. Her...unique personality had manifested into something rather questionable, not to mention her new habits and interests. Setsuna's undying loyalty to her ojo-sama was still there, and Konoka was as lovable as ever.

"Now I wonder how much Chacha-chan has changed." Negi thought aloud much to Chachazero's displeasure at hearing his affectionate title for the gynoid. Negi had taken notice of this but he decided not to let the puppet know. After that stunt she pulled in the classroom he figured that she deserved a little teasing of her own. "I hear she plays that violin and the piano now, you know?" He asked the sadistic little puppet with a grin.

"Ask me if I care." Chachazero retorted dully from his arms. "Heeey, master Negi!" She whined preciously.

"Yes?" Negi inwardly cringed. He dreaded it when she used that voice. It usually meant that she wanted something from him, which required no explanation to realize that that wasn't a good thing.

"Do we really have to go to Eva's house_ now_?" Chachazero asked.

"Do you like the idea of me living a little longer?" Negi answered her question with one of his own. He already managed to arouse Evangeline's sadistic nature when he didn't greet her _properly_ in the class so he knew that she had something planned for him when he got to her residence. Why make it even worse by holding it off a little longer? Then again as odd as it may sound, he actually missed her in a way. Sure, she may have an odd way of showing it but she was quite endearing and affectionate when she wanted to be and he would pick being tormented by her any day as opposed to being in the clutches of Lucinda or Alice. In fact he would rather be with Alice and her clan of girls than being around Lucinda. Putting it lightly, Lucinda wasn't exactly the type of company he would ever consider...she was just out of the question.

_Speaking of living longer...as much as I want Mana to attend classes again..._ Negi's mind trailed off as he thought about the many scenarios that could happen in his meeting with the lovely marksman. None of them ended happily, however, they did have a nice splatter of blood incorporated somewhere near his unconscious body. _Something is telling me that convincing her will cost me something dear...like my life._

"So how will you convince, Captain Tatsumiya to return to class?" Chachazero inquired with a cackle. "I mean, you know that she's probably doing this to lure you to her anyway, right?"

"You know what? You're probably right." Negi nodded grimly.

"You did leave the campus without her. Not to mention you didn't even say goodbye." Chachazero added, twisting the knife in Negi's back in a manner of speaking. "She seemed pretty set on traveling with you too, which was kind of weird considering the type of person she is." Chachazero stroked her chin and joked, "Hey, she might of actually fallen for you!"

"Right." Negi rolled his eyes. "And I actually did leave her a goodbye note." He corrected her.

"You did?" The puppet sounded a bit skeptical.

"I'm telling the truth!" Negi assured her. "It read-"

**_--------------------------------------------------------_**

_"Dear Mana, If you are reading this letter, then the likely hood of me still being around Mahora is quite doubtful." Mana's lips gradually curled into a frightening smirk as she read on, "Now I know we had settled that you would accompany me on my travels but I'm afraid that won't be possible due to the fact that you still must attend classes. To add further to that, the last thing I want to do is put you in danger. As your teacher, you are my responsibility and that means that your safety comes first! I would never be able to live with myself if you happened to incur a serious injury at some point because I allowed you to face such a possibility. Good luck in your new year of school!" Mana looked over at the view from the shrine for a moment before sighing as her fingers closed around the letter, crumpling it into a ball._

_"Well done Negi." Mana chuckled. "...But you're going to have to come back someday and when you do, I'll make sure to get you for this."_

_**---------------------------------------------------------**_

"Master Negi..." Chachazero trailed off.

"Yeah, it was a stupid idea..." He hung his head in defeat.

**_---------------------------------------------------_**

**_Evangeline's residence..._**

**_---------------------------------------------------_**

The first thing Negi realized when he opened the door was the sweet soothing melody of a violin coming from the living room. It managed to calm him with it's softness. For some reason the idea of facing Evangeline didn't seem as bad as it did earlier when his mind was too busy thinking up the many painful possibilities that could follow meeting her. His body suddenly had a mind of it's own as it followed the hypnotizing melody like a moth trying it's hardest to be embraced by the seductive rays of the light. When he reached the living room, his trance had completely left him and it was replaced by a surreal feeling . There standing in the middle of the living room was Chachamaru, donning her usual maid outfit with her violin and bow in hand.

_Oh, riiiight. _Negi thought as his mind sought for the missing piece to the puzzle before him. _She did tell me that she was practicing a few instruments before, didn't she?_

The gynoid spied him from her peripheal and she stopped playing to greet him."Oh, Negi. For a moment I believed that you would not be able to make it back here." Negi payed close attention when she spoke, and swore that there was a slight hint of sarcasm. It was almost as though she was just slightly peeved at him. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't possibly understand why that would be the case.

"Why would you say that?" Negi asked innocently.

"The others had so much they wished to speak with you about." Chachamaru replied, referring to his other students. "They seemed to be unwilling to let go of you when I last checked."

"I'll admit, it was kind of hard to get away from them." Negi said with a light blush of embarrassment. "But I couldn't just forget about you and Eva-chan." Forgetting, Evangeline, alone would be criminal, not to mention just a tad bit unadvised.

"I sure could." Chachazero muttered but Negi acted as though he didn't hear her. He took a seat on one of the chairs beside the table and said, "Please, don't stop playing on my account. I really enjoyed your melody! It was pretty good, Chacha-chan!" The pleasant expression on his face easily wiped away all of her negative thoughts about him. She found that it was almost impossible to stay mad whenever he was concerned and yet at the same time she wanted to hold on to the fascinating feeling.

"V-very well." Chachamaru nodded before pulling the bow across the strings of the violin once more. The melody she played haunted Negi with it's deep tones but what gave him even more chills was the expression on her face as she went on. She looked so incredibly...human and for some reason it unnerved him. The moment was shattered to pieces, however, when Evangeline finally decided to make her appearance. She was greeted by the sight of Negi watching her servant play the wondrous instrument and the scene didn't fit well with her plans. Naturally she would have to set things in motion the way she preferred it to be.

"Oh, I'm seriously beginning to wonder, Negi." Evangeline snapped her fellow vampire out of his daze. At the very sight of her, Negi jumped out of his seat and quickly scurried to her. He already managed to mess up once in the classroom earlier. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.

"E-Eva-chan!" Negi practically sang her name as though the very heavens opened and brought her before him. "I was wondering where you were!" His act made Chachazero chuckle.

"Really?" Evangeline questioned skeptically as she placed her hands on her hips. "Here I thought you were more interested in, Chachamaru." Her eyes narrowed upon him and the young magi felt something unpleasant heading his way. "I mean, it looks as though you've completely forgotten that I exist."

"What?!" Negi quirked a brow. "Th-that's crazy talk, Eva-chan! I could never forget about you! The thought of your..." Negi thought quickly for something flattering, "beautiful smile is the only thing that keeps me going everyday!" He hoped that this would soften her up. Maybe if he kept up this act, she'd think about lightening up on him.

"Oh really?" A devious grin played upon her lips. "That's nice of you to say." The chibi-vampire turned to Chachamaru and ordered, "Go prepare a fresh batch of tea, Chachamaru. It's been a while since Negi and I've had a real heart to heart talk."

"Mistress..." The gynoid seemed quite reluctant to comply. She was still quite eager to show off her skills to Negi. "Very well." Chachamaru nodded before taking her leave. Showing any signs of disobedience wouldn't be very wise. The last thing she desired was to be on the mistress's bad side just as Negi returned. Evangeline would never let her have any time with him.

Negi watched silently as Chachamaru left the room and Evangeline set her sights on him once again. The look of hunger that slowly glazed over her emerald eyes weren't to comforting. In fact it really began to scare him because the more he simply stared at her, the more feral she became. It was like being in the same room with Lucinda again. "Now that we're alone..." Evangeline purred in a dark, sultry voice.

"Actually, I'm still here." Chachazero waved her hand much to Evangeline's annoyance.

"Right." The vampiress nodded her head slowly before saying, "Not for long." She flicked her wrist and two invisible threads latched on to the puppet's arms before raising her off of Negi's shoulders.

"Z-zero-chan?" Negi's eyes widened in horror when she dangled in mid-air.

"Hey! What's the big ide-ahhhhhhhhh!?" Chachazero had no time to finish voicing her protest before she was whisked away in to the other room by the invisible threads. Negi sweat-dropped when he realized that he was now alone with Evangeline. That wasn't exactly a good thing.

"Now where was I?" She asked with a fanged grin.

"I usually try not to recall." Negi mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Evangeline's right hand twitched.

"N-nothing." Negi replied with an uneasy grin. "Hey, um, why don't we sit down and talk?"

_Evangeline shook her head as she took a step forward._

"N-no?" Negi swallowed herd and started to back away as his mind raced for a way to stop this scene from progressing any further. "W-well, we haven't sp-spoken in the courtyard for a while! How abou-"

"We haven't done quite a bit in a while." Evangeline countered. "In fact, I've almost forgotten how delicious you were."

"H-huh? Don't be r-ridiculous!" Negi stammered. "There was that one time-"

"The night of that ballroom dance?" She cut him off. "That didn't count and you know it." Evangeline's smirk started to look rather sinister. "Besides, there was more that I wanted to do that night that weren't able to get to."

"More?" Negi made the mistake of stopping to think that one over. "What do you mea-AGH!" He cried out when Evangeline suddenly smashed into him like a bullet! They both slid across the smooth floorboards until Negi's head hit the wall of the living room. Almost immediately, fear gripped his heart when he opened his eyes again to take in the sight of, Evangeline lowering her head towards the side of his neck. "Oh ma-uhhh."

Negi felt a quick stab of pain when her fangs plunged right through his skin as though it wasn't even there. The sensation was replaced by an overwhelming sense of pleasure that made his knees buckle up. His hands tried to grip for something but the floorboards weren't much help. He opted for Evangeline's clothes much to her appreciation, which was quite audible since she moaned at the feeling of his hands on her hips. She increased the fervor of her slurping as she placed one hand on his back to hold him up towards her and used the other to support the back of his neck. "Eva..." Negi whispered faintly, trying to get a grip on his senses but they were going erratic at her touch.

_"Masterrrrr! Be strong, I'm coming! Just let me...break free!" _Negi heard Chachazero's voice cry out faintly from the next room. _"H-hey! What're you doing in there!?" _She went silent when Evangeline let out a louder moan of pleasure. _"HEY! STOP THAT! $#!! $$!$!"_

"...E..va..." Negi felt his toes curl.

"Ah!" Evangeline finally pulled back for air. She observed Negi, in his drunk daze and smiled. Finally, he was back home to her and now she could do as she pleased with him. "Don't lose consciousness yet." Evangeline cooed to him. "I need you to stay awake for the next part."

"Whaaa?" Negi questioned her with a slight slur,

"Good boy." Evangeline said libidinously before capturing his lips.

_Unable...to concentrate...Body feels...weird. I've never...felt like this...before..._ Negi thought as his eyes swiveled slowly from side to side. Something deep within him was telling him to just relax and give in and yet at the same time there was something else crying out for him to find a way out. He did have to admit though...Evangeline did look like a different person whenever she got passionate. _Oh please...let me wake up...in one piece..._

* * *

_**--------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Back to FVA...**_

_**--------------------------------------------------------------**_

"Nagi." Ako thought aloud to herself as she had a seat at one of the many outdoor tables that were set up at the World Tree Plaza. She was waiting for Yuna, Makie and Akira to come with the food so she had some time to worry. That was all she ever did whenever she had time alone to her thoughts, and as much as she hated to do it, she simply couldn't pull her mind away from the _"Bad things"_ that could happen instead of thinking positive. When it came to confidence, she was completely out of stock and she was quite a klutz. Then there was the scar on her back that she was so self conscious of. She felt that it made her imperfect; flawed, one could even say.

_There's just so much on my mind today! I have to preform at the concert in front of all of those people and to put on even more pressure, Nagi is going to be there as well!_ Ako placed her hands over her head and bowed until her forehead came in contact with the surface of the table. She banged her head lightly against it repeatedly as her thoughts went down it's usual path of ruin. What would she do with Nagi watching her play? There was just no way she could mess up in front of him! He'd think that she was some sort of loser if she embarrassed herself in front of everyone. "Oooooh! I just can't take it!" She cried out even though it was sort of muffled due to the position she was in.

"W-wait!" She lifted her head up quickly. "But I can't just give up yet!"

"HEYA!" Makie suddenly slammed both of her hands on the table, startling the poor young woman.

"WAH!" Ako cried out, before clutching her chest as though she nearly experienced a coronary. She stared at Makie with wide eyes for a moment and cried out, "What's the big idea, huh?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"It's just, you seemed to be having a conversation with yourself." Yuna inputted, taking a seat in front of Ako. Akira came from the side with two trays of food before setting it down on the table.

"You alright?" Makie asked, taking her seat.

"I-I'm fine!" Ako replied but the grins on her friend's faces told her that they weren't convinced by her answer. "W-what's the matter guys?"

"I think you're lying." Yuna said mischievously as she rested her chin in one hand. She leaned forward to look into Ako's eyes and whispered playfully, "Are you sure you're craziness had nothing to do with...oh, I don't know...Nagi?"

"Ah, yes, I almost forgot about that." Akira nodded. "You're going on a date with him, aren't you?" Her words made the girl fluster.

"W-what?!" Ako leaned back on her chair. She began flailing her hands in their faces as she stammered, "N-n-no! It's n-not l-like that! I-I just inv-v-vited him to th-the conc-c-c-cert!" She spoke so fast that the girls could only blink at her after she was done.

"Don't be silly!" Yuna snapped. "You invited him personally and he seemed to like you. You could at least have dinner with the guy! He's Negi's cousin! I'm sure he's a really cool guy to be with."

"You just don't get it!" Ako groaned, running her hands down her face.

"What?" Makie blinked.

**_---------------------------------------_**

**_Walking to rehersal..._**

**_---------------------------------------_**

"Ako!" Yuna called out to the shy rocker as she picked up the pace to catch up with her. Makie and Akira were still farther behind since they cleaned up after they finished eating. The brunette frowned when Ako didn't even turn to regard her, which of course, meant that she was ignoring her, and with good reason. She didn't want to be bothered with Nagi's name anymore. Well, at least until she met him face to face again. The very thought of him threw her off from everything else and unfortunately, that increased her klutz rating by ten fold.

"Hey-loh?!" Ako failed her arms wildly as if it would catch Ako's attention, however, it had not succeeded seeing as how the rocker simply walked on with her guitar strapped to her back.

_Just leave me alone...please! _Ako thought in growing aggravation. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder when Yuna had suddenly fallen silent. _Looks like she finally gave u-AH!_

"Hey!" Yuna tapped her on the shoulder without warning. "For a second there I thought you were ignoring me!" The grin on her face was a real as a seven dollar bill. "You weren't...were you?"

"Actually, I was." Ako replied bluntly.

"Talk about subtle." Yuna rolled her eyes.

"Look!" Ako turned her head to regard her friend. "Let's have no more talk about Nagi, alright?!"

"Oh, you're such a child." Yuna grumbled.

_What?! You're one to talk!_ The look of disbelief on Ako's face got a, "What?" from Yuna, which she merely huffed in response. The stage was in view and she could see Misa and the other girls already in practice anyway. If she could just get through this successfully, then the rest of the day would go by smoothly...at least she hoped so.

"Oh, great to see ya, Ako!" Misa waved at her fellow band member after she was done jamming. "Bought some of the other girls for a little sample of what's to come?" She asked, referring to Yuna, Makie and Akira. Two of which were still trying to catch up, visibly in the distance.

"Heh, you can say that!" Ako massaged the back of her neck nervously. She set her case down on the stairs leading up to the stage before undoing the clips to pull out her guitar. When she got up on stage with the other band members, they went on with practicing the opening and all went well to their delight until Misa decided to say, "Man! As good as we are, Nagi-chan is gonna be dying to be your boyfriend!"

**_BTATATATIIIIIIING!_**

"Aiiiiiiiieee!" Sakurako clasped her hands over her ears when Ako's guitar wail assaulted her ears viciously. One of Misa's hair strands stood up on end and Madoka let go of her snares, letting them clatter to the ground.

"A-ako?!" Misa cringed. "What the heck was that?!"

"Oh gawd, I can't do this!" Ako cried out.

"Whoa, what're you talkin' about?" Sakurako got in her way before she could leave the stage. "You can't just drop like this!"

"L-look at me!" Ako held out her trembling hands to emphasize her point. "I-I should've never invited him to the concert! If he sees an amateur like me play he'll think I'm a loser!" Ako tried to get past Sakurako but Misa ran in and made her stay still.

"Heeeeey, chill out!"

**_--------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Looking to the dysfunctional bunch..._**

**_--------------------------------------------------------_**

"What do you think?" Negi walked out of the fitting room wearing an adult version of his trademark green suit, complimented by an over jacket that fell just below his knees. Chachamaru and Chisame had to admit that he looked rather strapping...then again, the young magi had this annoying knack for looking good in anything he wore. The fact that he took an aging pill to become his older persona accentuated that fact well.

"Looking good, Master Negi!" Chachazero offered him a thumbs up from up top Chachamaru's head. She tried to accompany her master into the fitting room, however, the gynoid simply would not allow it for obvious reasons. Negi probably had not noticed the gradual intimacy the puppet was trying to share with him but it didn't slip pass, Chachamaru.

"...Um...sure, whatever." Chisame crossed her arms childishly and looked away to hide her blush, which elicited some girly squeals from a few nosy girls that were trying to sneak a peek at Negi. As much at the net idol hated to admit it, being a little girl again wasn't so bad even if it happened against her will. It allowed her to wear outfits that were out of her reach before in a manner of speaking.

"You look handsome..." Chachamaru complimented him sheepishly. She felt unusual whenever he looked the way he did now. It was a slightly different feeling from when he was in his normal, child-like form.

"Thanks, Chachamaru!" Negi told her with a smile before observing her adorable state of dress. The gynoid donned a rabbit suit. "You look really cute by that way!"

"D-do I?" Chachamaru felt her face heat up. _Negi-kun thinks I'm cute..._She turned away from Chisame when the little girl regarded her with an odd expression.

_I'm not crazy but I could've sworn she was blushing. _Chisame thought in bewilderment. _But she's supposed to be and androi- I mean a gynoid...right?_ She shook her head and heaved a sigh. "Well, it's too late to convince myself that this is a dream."

"What was that Chisame-chan?" Negi asked.

"W-was I speaking to you?" The little girl glared at him.

"N-no." Negi stammered. "Oh, you look pretty cute too!" He complimented her when he realized that he said nothing about her...curious choice of clothes.

"Whatever..." Chisame grumbled, feeling her cheeks flush. Luckily, Kotaro decided to step out of his fitting room before Negi could get a good look at her face. He glanced over his shoulder just to makle sure he wasn't seeing things but Kotaro cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Whaddya think?" The dog demon asked, crossing his arms.

"I think you look like a thug." Chisame answered him with a smirk.

"Yep." Chachazero nodded her head.

"H-huh?" Naturally her answer caused a vein to bulge from his forehead. "How did ya' come to that reaction?! I think I look pretty good!"

"I don't." The puppet hammered him another time.

"I think you look cool." Negi said with a grin.

"That ain't helpin' much." Kotaro sighed.

"Anyway," Negi started off as he turned away to get going. "Let's go meet up with Ako and the others." He picked up Chisame and perched her upon his shoulders much to her growing embarrassment and Chachazero's displeasure. He didn't give any of them much time to voice their feelings, however, since he just started walking out of the store...they paid of course.

"We missed our chance, Mei." Takane told her underling as they walked through the plaza together. "If those paparazzi members hadn't shown up..." The blonde magistress paused to scowl at the commotion that followed their intrusion. "They're such pests!"

"And your accidents at the tournament doesn't help us much." Mei added, causing her "onesan" to blush a shade of crimson brilliance. "They just can't get enough of you."

"Quiet you!" Takane snapped. "You don't think Negi...thinks poorly of me...do you?"

"Negi isn't that way." Mei assured her. "I'm sure he understands that it was just some misfortunate accident." Mei rolled her eyes for a moment and thought, _That has a habit of coming back on occasion..._

"He didn't even notice us at that tea ceremony!" Takane pouted. "The nerve."

"Well, he did look down." Mei reminded her.

"Oh...right." Takane tried to shake off the thought that plagued her earlier. "I-I don't know what came over me. Ever since that night I ended up in the infirmary, I've been feeling a little different." An awkward silence was shared between the both of them as they continued to do their rounds through the plaza until Mei suddenly perked up. The red-head saw Negi and the others coming out of the clothing store and nudged Takane quickly.

"What is it, Mei?" Takane glanced at her underling.

"It's Negi-sensei!" She whispered to her, pointing at the approaching bunch. "A-and he's all grown up again." Her last words managed to pull Takane out of her stupor. Just what was Negi doing, parading around like that?! Wasn't he still recovering from the tournament? Before Mei could say another word, Takane was suddenly stomping towards Negi and the others with a look of annoyance upon her lovely features. It was clear to Mei that she may have ruined Negi's day.

"Oh, why do I even bother with her?" Mei shook her head. "Well, I better head over there with her before she does something she'll regret." She rushed after Takane to try and clam her but the blonde magistress was already close to making contact with Negi by the time she was in reach.

"Negi-kun!" Takane's voice cut through the bustling crowd. At the very sound of her voice, Negi flinched and looked around frantically fro the source of the voice. Kotaro and the others, however, saw her as clear as day light.

"W-where is she?" Negi asked fearfully.

"Ahead, you twit." Chisame told him with a tap on his head. The young man went stiff when he heard his student's reply and slowly turned his head to take in the sight of the blonde vixen. She had her hands on her hips and a look of murder on her face that sent shivers down his back. What did she want with him now? Was she back to hurt him for what he did to her at their match during the tournament?

_Or worse?! No, no, no! She wouldn't look this composed if she was experiencing the turning stages. _Negi shoved all of his lingering fear to the back of his mind and greeted, "Good afternoon, Takane! I'm glad to see that you're alright!"

"Sure." Takane quipped, narrowing her eyes. "You seem to be chipper yourself."

"Um, what?" Negi blinked quizzically. He saw her beckon him forward with a finger and broke free from the bunch to close the distance between them. "What's wrong?"

"Ahem..." Takane's gestured to Chisame with her eyes and Negi got the message.

"I'm going to have to let you down." Negi told Chisame.

"Sure." Chisame said dully before Negi grabbed her by the waist to raise her up, off his shoulders. When her feet was back on the ground she walked back to Chachamaru and Kotaro. It didn't help her much that she was feeling a bit of disappointment from being taken from the comfort of Negi's shoulders.

"So could you tell me now?" Negi asked. "You look a little...er, mad."

"Well, for one, you're walking around as an adult with your students!" She snapped at him. "Do you realize what sort of danger you could be in if, Gandolfini sees you?!"

"Takane-"

"Do you want to be turned into an ermine?!"

"O-of course not!" Negi replied. "But don't worry about it. As long as nobody knows who I really am, it's alright!" He let out a nervous chuckle when Takane shot him a glare. "L-look, everyone thinks I'm "Nagi"...my cousin."

"You have a cousin?" Takane raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"It's just a cover up."

_And a fine looking one at that. _Takane found her thoughts wandering as her eyes strayed all over him. This wasn't lost on, Mei whom was feeling just a bit nervous around Negi herself. Takane felt a weird tingling in her canines and let out a soft sigh. _For some reason I get thirsty whenever I'm around Negi...B-btu that's not relevant at the moment! _Takane shook of her inner musings and asked, "Why are you all dressed up anyway?"

"Oh, um, I just have a little engagement to fulfill!" Negi answered sheepishly.

"An engagement?" She echoed him darkly. "With who?"

"...A friend." Negi answered vaguely.

"Specify please!" She demanded much to his growing panic.

"Um, so what are you two doing?!"

"Don't try to change the subject!"

"Patrolling again?" Negi leaned over towards, Mei with complete disregard for Takane. The red-head blushed as the close proximity between them and nodded bashfully.

"Th-that's right." Mei answered with a light blush.

"Hey!" Takane stomped her foot.

"Good luck!" Negi's dazzling smile made, Mei's legs feel like jelly.

"Thanks!" Mei smiled broadly. _Oh gawd, he is so cool!_

"Oh, and Takane?" Negi caught the blonde off guard when he turned his attention back to her.

"W-what?" Takane pulled away when he took a step towards her.

"I'll try to make up for the match later tonight. Okay?" Negi told her. At that moment, Takane's mind smashed into a brick wall and was having a hard time trying to pick up the pieces. Negi inwardly cheered at his cleverness and gestured to the others discreetly to get moving. All Takane could do was nod and watch him walk off dreamily.

"Onesan?" Mei called to her but she was out of reach.

_He wants to see me tonight?_ Takane melted before slapping herself. "AH! Bad thoughts!" The blonde magistress shook her head frantically to force off the steam that was whistling out of her ears. "Cripes! I let him get away!"

"Yep." Mei quipped.

"What did you say to her?" Kotaro asked Negi as they walked quickly.

"Nothing!" Negi answered quickly. "Let's go see, Ako."

* * *

Ako closed the door of her dressing room behind her and sighed deeply. The anxiety she was feeling was almost unbearable and the queasy feeling that was building in the pit of her stomach only added to the unpleasant feeling. She didn't want to let her friends down but she wasn't feeling all to confident at the moment. "This sucks." She mumbled. She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment and raised a hand to her head to lift up a strand of her hair.

"I'm such an average girl. What would Nagi ever see in me?" She let go of her hair and focused intensely upon her reflection. "Sure, my hair and eye color stand out but...oh, what's the use?" She gripped her left shoulder with her right hand and looked over her shoulder. "I can't forget about my scar...the other thing that sets me apart from others..." She unbuttoned her shirt and let it fall. Her bra followed along to the floor and she turned her back towards the mirror; the scar running across her back now visible.

"Man, I'm depressed..." She said, looking away from the mirror. She didn't even want to think what would happen if Nagi saw this horrible thing. At least she thought it made her look ugly. Who would want a girl with such a large scar?

"Who?" She said to herself as she turned back to look at it again but when she did, she found something wrong with her reflection. Instead of seeing herself with her back to the mirror, she saw herself...looking back at her with a disturbing grin.

_"Stop feeling sorry for yourself." _The Ako in the mirror told her. Ako turned around to face her reflection and rubbed her eyes to confirm if her mind was merely playing tricks on her. "Who are you?" She asked.

_"I'm your desires."_

"Huh? Th-that doesn't make sense." Ako blinked.

_"Oh, yes it does. You've been so filled with self doubt that you never come to realize me." _The Ako in the mirror grinned widely, exposing her fangs and let out a disturbing giggle. _"Right now you want Nagi. Don't deny it. You want him to hold you," _She licked her lips hungrily. _"You want to taste him."_

"Th-that's not true!"

_"There you go again. Always trying to ignore your deep desires. Haven't you noticed a certain distinct feeling whenever he's around you?"_

"What do you mean?"

_"Jealousy whenever he's with someone else?" _The Ako in the mirror pressed her hands against the glass.

* * *

_"Nagi-san!" Ako squeaked in shock. "W-who is that woman with him?! He d-doesn't have a girlfriend already, does he?!" _

* * *

_"Will you deny that?"_

"...No." Ako bowed her head.

_"You fail to realize your own beauty. The beauty that Nagi sees in you."_ The Ako in the mirror pressed her cheek against the mirror with a lustful sigh. _"I can help you realize all this and I can help you claim him for yourself. Nagi will belong to you and no one else. He will hold you and only you. He will "Love" you."_

"L-love me?" Ako raised her head quickly.

_"Yes. Just embrace me and we will be one again." _The dark Ako grinned and her fangs poked out again. _"Press your hands against mine."_

"A-alright." Ako nodded slowly. She leaned toward the mirror and almost pressed her hands against her vampiric counterpart's hands but just as they were about to make contact, the door to her dressing room opened without warning to reveal-

_"Ako, are you in her- oh my gawd..."_

**_"N-NAGI?!"_**

* * *

Evangeline suddenly flinched in Negi's futon and sat up straight with eyes wide in surprise. "What the.. It almost feels like the boya is in trouble..." She stayed quiet for a moment and shrugged her shoulders, "He can take care of himself."**_  
_**

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_ It's been a while but I hope to have made up for that with this chapter. As you can see, the past and the future is catching up with Negi in different shapes and forms. The impending javelin over Mahora campus is about to drop and it's going to cause some commotion...believe me. _

_Chao and Dorothy are finally showing their true colors towards each other but how will their confrontation end? Surely a Dark Mistress like Dorothy is going to be more than a problem to handle and more importantly, what happened to Negi in the future?_

_Well, the next chapter might shed some light on those issues...or it'll just plague you with even more mysteries. On a side note, if you're just a bit confused with the last scene, then just turn back to vol. 3. Negi said that he would "devampirize" the girls that Evangeline turned but I decided to add in that little twist for fun._

_Um...Devampirize?_

_...nevermind... _

_**Traingham...**  
_


	23. Unspoken thoughts, Part One

_Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters…  
_

_**Fang Vice Addiction**_

_**Chapter Twenty-three: Treading Wildfire  
**_

_By Traingham_

_**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

**_Mid 1800's, Somewhere in Northern Europe..._**

The rough winds pierced the skin of the couples that walked together hand in hand on the snow covered sidewalks of the dreary city. The cobblestone that made up the glistening streets could still be seen under the clattering hooves of the horses that pulled the carriages of counts and barons alike, beats that the young children in their snug coats and scarves played to. Pale mothers clutched the hands of their defiant children with one hand as they carried all of their goods in woven baskets with their other, and ripe young men flirted and fraternized with timid young women who merely giggled and tested their patience. All was well with the humans, going along with their lives, oblivious to the activities of the unseen forces that blended along with them, wearing top hats, gentlemen suits, dresses, corsets; everything that would fool them into believing that _"they" _were human.

The ripe young men were blind to the dark desires of the 'timid' young women that they hounded and spoiled. The young women who tested the patience of the many young men that whispered sweet nothings to them were unaware of the fangs that tingled for a taste of their warm blood. All knew of the mysterious disappearances of young women but they stayed oblivious. The bodies of young men that were found lying dead, drained of blood were wisely ignored. All of this was part of an unnatural balance that the humans were afraid to tip. When they showed signs of retaliation, the body count increased.

Up in one of the high towers that overshadowed the streets, two young women met near the balcony, looking down upon the activities of the city. One of them had hair the color of the very snow that fell from the skies. Her eyes were storm blue, and she had a beautifully shaped face, down to her delicate chin. She was average in height, slightly shorter than her companion and she wore a suit jacket accompanied with pants of a similar fashion. It was an attire that men were more familiar with.

The other young woman had golden, blonde hair that fell to her hips elegantly. Her eyes were an emerald green and she was just as beautiful as the former. Her pale face holding a mischievous quality. She wore a black long jacket that concealed what she wore underneath, however, it was clear that she was not wearing pants like her companion. "So I see that I've come passing at a special time." Said Evangeline to Seraphina as she leaned back against the balcony rails. "I'm not one to pry but I'm a bit curious as to what is going on." Both mistresses regarded each other quietly for a short period of time before Seraphina finally shook her head and turned away from Evangeline with a sigh.

"I'm sure that you're beginning to realize a slight tip in the balance of how the world works." The snow haired beauty stated, getting a slight nod from, Evangeline. "The humans are slowly but surely developing a firmer grasp of the arts of magic, the mundanes are finding more elaborate ways to do away with our kind, the lycan have begun spreading themselves across the lands at a frightening rate..." Seraphine turned to face Evangeline again to finish, "And finally there is the dispute amongst our own ranks."

"I'm not blind to these developments." Evangeline said with her usual grin. "This territorial dispute amongst the clans are becoming more noticable as the years pass. I've heard of Lucifera's gradual expansion over, Rome. It shouldn't be much longer before she decides to go further beyond the capital city." Evangeline crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side slightly. "Is that what this is about?"

"You aren't very far." Seraphina admitted. "We've agreed upon a biannual meeting." Her words made the undying wizard raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"All of us?" Evangeline asked, dropping her grin. "That's a shock."

"Naturally, Lucifera and Morrigan declined an appearance." Seraphina said with a shrug. "Those two won't allow the other to breathe while occupying the same room. The venom that runs between those two are deep to the roots." She studied the look on Evangeline's face and inwardly frowned. Evangeline wasn't the type to come to meetings either. She just didn't see any point in doing so and Seraphina was well aware of this. This along with the way the blonde mistress tapped her fingers upon her bicep was enough to convey a negative message. Evangeline wasn't about to stay around and see this through. "Evangeline..."

"Don't waste your breath, Seraphina." Evangeline cut her off before her fellow mistress could utter another word. "What makes you believe that I'll stand on the behalf of the, Shinso?" Evangeline brushed aside a strand from her face and went on, "I'm not that involved with the nation. I could care less how they are holding up in these quaint political manners."

"Surely you don't mean that." Seraphina said with a slight hint of agitation laced within her voice. "You're so well respected amongst your own nature."

"I don't need their respect." Evangeline retorted. "My life wasn't destined for this. Had I not taken my stay at that accursed castle so long ago, I would be just another one of those humans." Her smirk returned, however, it held nothing of amusement. "What then? I'd be just another body in one of the dark alleys of your city?" She whipped a hand at the view of the streets below and spat, "Another harlot perhaps? Some unfortunate young woman in the world, wedlock to a baron?" She scowled at Seraphina for a fleeting moment. "I'm not about to represent those I could care less about."

"Oh well, I can't force you." She submitted to Evangeline's wishes. "There are others among your nation that could stand on their behalf...but you would be the first that they'd raise up to such a responsibility." Seraphina walked past Evangeline and beckoned her back into the room with a quick flick of her wrist. Evangeline, seeing that there would be no more discussion on the subject, nodded and walked in, closing the balcony doors behind her with a light click. They descended the tower and entered a courtyard filled with blue and white cornflowers and a large fountain at the very center displaying a well crafted sculptors of two nude winged women tilting pots of water over their shoulders. There they met a young woman with blonde waist length hair and gold eyes sitting upon one of the many benches that went along the courtyard path. She had on a gray overcoat that fell down below her knees and some gloves.

"Who is this?" Evangeline asked Seraphina as they approached the young woman.

"I believe that is, Dorothy Summers." Seraphina answered her.

"My first time hearing about her."

"Oh, I'm sure." Seraphina nodded. "You're far to busy with your own matters to bring yourself up to date with happenings of our world." Evangeline was quick to pick up her subtle message. "She's new blood to the council."

"Is that so?" Evangeline mused. "Well, good luck to her." The undying wizard grinned mischievously. When they were near the waiting mistress, she rose up from her seat on the bench and greeted, "Good afternoon, Mistress Elman." she offered the elder mistress a polite bow that seemed more mechanic than anything else. It seemed almost as though her bow was forced rather than done willingly. Evangeline picked it up but said nothing of it. She didn't want to get involved with anything right now.

"Good afternoon to you, Mistress Summers." Seraphina did not return the bow due to obvious reasons. She was simply "_New Blood_". It would be long before, Dorothy earned such pleasantries from her. The other mistress didn't show any displeasure towards her superior though she inwardly clenched her teeth. This was quickly pushed aside, however, when the young mistress set her sights upon Evangeline. Unlike Seraphina, she didn't seem to expect anything from her. Seraphina held an unspoken demand of respect within her strong demeanor while, Evangeline on the other hand held a sense of indifference as though she could care less if anyone even acknowledged her presence.

"Um, good afternoon, Mistress McDowell!" Dorothy was quick to bow. Unlike her greeting towards Seraphina, this one was quite genuine. Dorothy's eyes were alight with a sense of fascination and admiration. Evangeline was different from all the rest of the Dark Mistresses. She was much like a lone wolf without a need for others by her side. This is what she respected most about her aside from the awe inspiring powers at her command. She waited eagerly to receive a response from the other mistress, her hands beginning to sweat from being in her presence.

Evangeline sensed her excitement and a smirk crossed her lips. "Likewise, Summers." Her words made Seraphina grin for a brief moment before returning to a dispassionate mask.

"It's an honor to be in your presence." Dorothy said with an uneasy smile. She felt as though she would crash into pieces at any moment under Evangeline's intense emerald orbs. "I've heard many stories about you."

"Really?" Evangeline crossed her arms.

"Well then," Seraphina chuckled, "I will leave you two to yourselves. The meeting will begin in the private chamber within an hour. I expect you to be there ten minutes earlier, Summers."

"Understood." Dorothy replied, a little relieved from the other mistress's short intervention. What she didn't expect, however, was for Evangeline to proceed walking away from her. "W-wait!" Dorothy called to her, making Evangeline come to a stop. She didn't turn to regard her but she had her attention regardless.

"What is it?" Evangeline asked.

"...I really admire you."

"Why is that?"

"Excuse me?" Dorothy recoiled as though she was struck by some intangible force. "Are you ignorant of your own status? Are you not one of the Elder class mistresses?" Dorothy went on without awaiting an answer from Evangeline, although it went without saying that she would not have offered a response anyway. "I've heard of your triumph over Lord Melchiah; the duels in Ireland with the fearsome, Mistress McVicar; your slaying of a human crusade that attempted to best you near the scorching cities." Dorothy grinned widely, "I have knowledge of them all."

"Impressive." Evangeline quipped with a bit of sarcasm. "Your point?"

"I am willing to devote myself for that type of power."

"And why would you wish for that?" Evangeline finally turned to face Dorothy, placing a hand upon her hip. She took a few steps toward her, causing Dorothy to shrink slightly. The way she spoke didn't sound pleased in the slightest. Dorothy wasn't sure what she had done wrong. She was praising her, wasn't she? "In this world we are all trying to keep the peace amongst the clans. We don't want to destroy ourselves with pointless wars just as the humans do." Evangeline gestured to the outer walls as she spoke. "Why would you want such power? Is it to make yourself seem superior to the others? Are you so eager to rise above for nothing more than a title?"

"But you-"

"Me?" Evangeline placed a hand on her chest with a sneer. "You think I had a choice in becoming what I have? This curse was forced upon me and for that I go so far as to damn everything that stands for it. I did not choose to fight..." Evangeline leaned towards her and went on, "I was forced to fight. The only reason I stand before you here is because I refuse to fall."

Dorothy almost cowered was Evangeline towered before her. Her mouth open and closed like some dying fish, unable to get a word out. Evangeline, seeing that the young mistress was silenced turned away and began to take her leave. Dorothy, however, managed to work up the nerve to speak once more, asking, "So you will not teach me your ways?"

"Ways?" Evangeline questioned the cold air as if it were an afterthought. "You're nothing more than a child with dreams destined to bring doom to those around you." Evangeline looked over her shoulder and smirked cruelly. "Besides, why would I even take an interest in someone such as yourself? There's no potential."

"What?" Dorothy's lower lip quivered. Who was she to say such things? Who was she to pass judgment upon her ambitions and her very being? Dorothy clenched both of her hands into tremblings fists as she narrowed her eyes. She would show her. She would show Evangeline what _potential_ she had."I'll show you, daywalker." Almost immediately after the words left her mouth, Dorothy began charging at Evangeline's back with one hand flexing to call upon her lethal claws. A demented smile crossed Dorothy's lips when Evangeline was in reach with her back still towards her, either unable to sense her or too confident to even acknowledge her. No matter, she would soon know the errors of her wa-

_Evangeline suddenly turned to face her at the last moment._

Dorothy felt a deep pounding in her chest when she realized that, Evangeline was quite aware of what she was trying to do. She felt the strength in her arms wavering but she shook her head quickly crushing the fear that had it's momentary grip over her racing mind. There was no turning back now. Dorothy straightened out her fingers so that her claws extended out in a fashion that would have surely impaled Evangeline, however, this was not to be as the elder mistress simply caught her by the wrist with one fluid motion that escaped Dorothy's eyes. What followed was an extremely painful sensation that wrecked Dorothy's nerves mercilessly.

_Ergh! _A tear threatened to slip from her eye once Evangeline slowly twisted her wrist. The undying wizard looked down at her with a dispassionate gaze and held Dorothy's arm a little higher as she twisted harder. The painful adjustment made, Dorothy bend her knees slightly. Before long she would be on her knees if Evangeline went on further with her punishment. She was only grateful that there were no other mistresses present on the courtyard grounds to watch her humiliation.

"Let...go!" Dorothy growled at Evangeline, trying her best to be defiant though her mind screamed with protest against her stubborness. Something told her that her wrist wasn't going to last much longer as Evangeline twisted it to the side a little more. There was a light crack and Dorothy's eyes widened slightly before narrowing at the pain.

"I don't understand how you were able to reach the council." Evangeline told her without any signs of emotion crossing her features. "You're nothing more than a child."

"I am no-AH!" Dorothy cried out when Evangeline pushed down on her arm causing it to gradually bend the opposite way. Sweat started to trickle down her forehead and her eyes darted right and left for any sign of help but they were all alone in the courtyard without anyone to stop the punishment. "I...loathe...you." She managed to growl through her teeth though her harsh word held no effect on the Undying wizard.

"Say it." Evangeline commanded her. "Admit that you're nothing more than a child and I'll let you go free."

"N-never!"

_Evangeline asserted more pressure upon Dorothy's arm..._

A smirk finally crossed Evangeline's lips when a soft whimper escaped the other mistress's lips. "I wish you could see yourself right now. Willing to lose your arm in order to satisfy your own pride. Now-" Evangeline put even more pressure on Dorothy's arm and there was a squelch. "Let us say that your entire clan was in danger, and your only way of saving them was to surrender." Evangeline'e eyes took on a mischievous twinkle. "Would you fight against a foe that holds their lives in the balance? Would you risk it all?"

_Dorothy offered her no response..._

"Very well." Evangeline grinned. "Let me make my message a little clearer, child."

**_Snap!_**

"DEAR GOD!" Dorothy screamed in agony.

"You still have a chance to save your arm. I'm sure someone of your strength can heal it given some time." Evangeline raised an eyebrow. "But can you put yourself back together after it's been ripped from your very body? I wonder..." She trailed off cryptically. "Say the words and perhaps you won't have to find out." There was a deathly silence after Evangeline's words left her mouth and Dorothy bowed her head upon the stone bricks on the ground. She finally allowed the held back tears to stream out forming a small puddle under her face.

"Alright..." Dorothy moaned.

"Excuse me?" Evangeline tilted her head to the side in a mocking fashion. "What was that?"

"I'm...a child..."

"I'm afraid that I can't hear you."

"I'm a child." Dorothy's voice was still strained as though the very words crushed her soul.

"Apparently this arm holds no value." Evangeline quipped as she got in position to wrench it off. "Oh well."

"I"M A CHILD!" Dorothy cried out. "I AM A CHILD! NOTHING MORE!" She felt her arm go limp when Evangeline let go of it and remained motionless in her bowed position.

"Good girl." Evangeline said before she took her leave again. "And if you dare attack me from behind again, I won't think twice about killing you. Consider this your last warning." She didn't even wait for a response. She simply kept on walking until she passed into the green tunnel that led away from the courtyard. Her senses picked up another presence and she turned back to see Seraphina standing there with her arms crossed.

"Trying to break her already, I see." The white haired mistress said with a grim expression. "I take it that you don't know much about her."

"Dorothy?" Evangeline asked in a tone of voice that held little interest. "I could care less about her origins. She attempted to strike me in the back and I dealt the punishment she rightfully deserved." Evangeline placed both hands on her hips and regarded her fellow mistress sternly. "How was she even accepted into the council? Your expectations have surely hit rock bottom for her to be selected."

"She was the only one left to represent her clan." Seraphina explained. "The former leader of the clan south of here passed."

"Leslie died?"

"That she did." Seraphina nodded.

"Of what causes?" Evangeline asked quickly, the suspicion clear in her voice.

"Causes of death unknown." Seraphina replied.

"That's a lie." Evangeline narrowed her eyes. "That child murdered her. I'm sure of it."

"There's no proof."

"Don't give me that rubbish!"

"I have no idea what you're getting at." Seraphina played coy. At this response, Evangeline immediately understood the nature of Dorothy's position. There would be no other possible reason for her to be given the position of "Dark Mistress" so easily. She was nothing more than a puppet to the council; their little doll to pull the strings that Leslie Gainsborough originally had control over. With the once feared mistress out of the way the council couldn't be opposed the slightest.

"I've overstayed my visit." Evangeline suddenly announced. "I'll be taking my leave now."

"Very well." Seraphina nodded. "Have a safe trip."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Evangeline whipped around quickly to face the other mistress. They stared back at each other silently until she chuckled faintly.

"Not at all." Seraphina replied. "Simply parting words to a friend is all."

"Good."

"However, I must tell you..." Seraphina began.

"What?"

"That girl does not forget easily. She was brutally beaten within an inch of death by the very villagers that raised her once they found out about her vampirism. For that she despises humans." A chilling smirk crossed Seraphina's lips that rivaled Evangeline's. It held a silent message that the Undying wizard understood well. "She practically worshiped you for your power. She wanted nothing more than to be your disciple so that she would one day have the power to be feared by humans all around the known world. Now that she can't even have that within her grasps she will undoubtedly try to overpower you."

"Then I have a message for her...and the rest of you." Evangeline said with a smirk.

"And what would that be?"

"Whenever you believe that you're ready. Come face me."

**_----------------------------------------F-------------------------------V--------------------------------A--------------------------------------------------_**

**_Mahora Festival: Day Two (Date Segment)_**

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It had been fours hours since the conclusion of the Mahora Budokai. The stands that were once filled with fans cheering their hearts out for the fighters they favored most were now empty. The ring was repaired leaving no trace of the destruction that had left it in shambles not long ago. The tournament was over, however, despite all that, a new showdown had just begun. A sudden crash pierced the cold evening air as one of the columns from the top level of the arena exploded into bits crashing into the water surrounding the ring below. Another column followed and another until Chao jumped down to the stands below. She made a perfect landing and proceeded to jump to one of the lower levels before a black pillar of darkness crashed into the spot she had been occupying seconds ago.

"She's agile." Chao muttered under her breath darkly as she did a summersault to avoid being crushed by another pillar of darkness. She landed on the ring at the center of the arena and went on full alert as she tried to predict where the mistress might attack from next. Even with her teleportation Dorothy still seemed to be more than able to keep up. If the mistress managed to injure her in any way, the scales would most likely tip over in her favor. That was something Chao simply could not allow. The Chinese scientist whipped around when she heard someone land on the floorboards of the ring lightly. While most would flinch at a sudden crash, her light landing had the same effect and for obvious reasons.

"It would appear that your little suit isn't all talk." Dorothy began with a grin that concealed the frustration that was running through her. How was it that this little whelp was able to keep such a distance from her? Dorothy crossed her arms and regarded, Chao dispassionately. She was looking for an opening to strike, however, many scenarios ran through her mind that usually ended up as a failure. While Dorothy had the power and experience, Chao balanced it out with speed and wise decision making. She had yet to retaliate so Dorothy was still unsure of how the young vampiress faired in head to head combat. Although now that she managed to get the girl still she was inwardly hoping to find out.

"Tell me little girl..." Dorothy finally spoke again after an intense staring session. "How is it that you expect to protect dear Negi when all you can do is run?"

"I have a way of going about my problems, thank you." Chao countered. _Observe, calculate, and execute. No matter what the problem may be, this method is most effective in finding a solution._ Chao thought using this hiatus of the fight to study Dorothy's bodily behavior. The mistress had not relaxed too much meaning she was ready to get back in gear at any time. Dorothy had taken off her vampiric mantle for easier maneuverability in close quarters combat and she had a whirlwind of darkness circling her feet in a steady motion. Chao had already deducted that the whirlwind was the source of most of, Dorothy's long range attacks. As of now, however, she wasn't exactly sure of it's range or if it even had a limited range for that matter.

"This entire fight is going to be a gamble of my life if I don't make the right choices. I cannot allow any mistakes..." Chao's muscles tightened unnoticably. She may have gotten this far by avoiding the mistress's attacks but she was going to have to clash with her eventually. How was she supposed to protect anyone if she couldn't even defend against the threat?

"You're stalling." Dorothy suddenly spoke in an amused tone of voice. "It doesn't matter how long you wait, child. The result will always stay the same." The Dark mistress let out a chuckle and raised an eyebrow questionably, placing a hand upon her hip. "Just who do you think I am? Truly, you are a fool to face me like this!" She left no more room for words, lashing out her other hand at, Chao causing the floorboards under the girl's feet to split open with a crack before exploding. Chao was momentarily caught off guard once she was thrown up by the unexpected explosion. She looked down at what used to be the ring beneath her and widened her eyes at the sight of Dorothy's wriggling dark tentacles. she had been burrowing them underground the entire time they had been talking.

"Die!" Dorothy growled, clenching her hands into fist. The tentacles responded, lashing upwards to crush the Chinese scientist between them but before they could bind her, Chao had vanished. She reappeared directly above Dorothy a second later coming down upon her with a drop kick but the mistress quickly sank into a void beneath her, avoiding the attack.

"Damn." Chao hissed quietly as she landed. Dorothy was somehow cloaking her own aura so Chao couldn't track down her presence anywhere. It went without saying that this posed a problem, however, Chao had no time to reflect upon her misfortune, rolling to the side in order to avoid being slammed to death by the dark tentacles that her adversary had left behind. She powered up her fist with electricity before the tentacles could recover from their attack and reduced them to slivers of dark smoke with a swift strike. It wasn't long after they were completely gone that Dorothy decided to make herself know again coming from behind with a forward thrust of her hand that would have surely impaled Chao had she not teleported to a safe distance in time.

"That suit," Dorothy started, letting her hand drop slowly, "Is beginning to become a nuisance. I will have to do my best to dispose of it, won't I?"

"Give it your best shot." Chao grinned despite her current situation.

"No need to offer." Dorothy retorted before disappearing. She reappeared beside, Chao with clawed hand pulled back to deliver a lethal slash, saying, "I shall!" She whipped around with a roundhouse when she found herself swiping at the could air and countered a kick from, Chao. Both dueling vampires dropped their feet back to the ground to follow up with another attack and Dorothy sent a swift punch to Chao's face, which she sidestepped before grabbing Dorothy's outstretched arm with one hand and delivering an elbow strike to her open side. When the mistress staggered back from the impact, Chao attempted to take her down with a leg sweep, successfully sweeping her off her feet, however, instead of falling to the floor a void opened beneath her and she fell in. Chao looked up when another void opened above her, shooting down tentacles toward her! She did a flip causing the tentacles to crash right through the floor but Dorothy anticipated this coming from behind from seemingly out of nowhere and striking her with a kick to the head.

"GAH!" Chao almost bit her tongue after feeling the soles of the mistress's shoe connect with the back of her head. She fell forward rolling on the ground to get back to her feet when she came in contact with it and growled when she felt some wetness slowly drip down through her hair. She ran her hand over it quickly and scowled at the sight of blood. _You sneaky-_ Chao did not allow her mind to go any further with that line of thought, rushing forward towards Dorothy with intents of inflicting some major damage. She tapped into her vampiric abilities, launching herself forward so fast that she left after images of herself trailing behind. Dorothy never saw it coming when, Chao slammed one crackling hand directly into her face, however, instead of flying backwards from the amount of force as Chao intended, the mistress stood her ground with her face turned to the side from the punch. Seconds later the water around the ring rippled violently as though the force of Chao's punch didn't register in time.

"So..." Dorothy turned her head against Chao's fist to regard her with eyes filled with madness. Blood trickled from her mouth but a vicious smirk graced her lips regardless. "The girl has some bite to her, eh?" Dorothy countered with a headbutt that sent Chao sprawling backwards. "Good! For a moment there I thought this wouldn't be as satisfying as I hoped!" Dorothy's muscles tensed and the whirlwind of darkness that circled her feet went from calm to violent. She let out a shriek as her long blonde hair whipped upwards from the whirlwind and the entire stage went up in dark flames. the intensity if the flames had, Chao sweating as she did her best to reorient herself.

"Prepare yourself!" Dorothy cried out before the whirlwind around her shot towards Chao in a slipstream of dark fire. The vicious flames engulfed Chao and kept going, leaving nothing in it's path, but the Chinese scientist had reappeared before Dorothy with her right hand pulled back, showing no signs of ever being consumed by the flames. She went in for a strike, too caught up in the heat of combat to consider the suspicious grin on the mistress's face and blinked when her fist was met by a dense wall of darkness. She jumped back quickly leaving an imprint of her fist in the dark barrier before Dorothy let it down.

_She's using her powers to go on the defensive now and it's pretty effective. Even with the power of this suit...my punch wasn't able to get through. _Chao observed grimly. "Looks like the real challenge has just begun." She muttered to herself before reason came into the equation. A sly grin crossed her lips as the gears began cranking. _I wonder though...can she attack and defend at the same time? _Chao got back in position to attack. _I'll soon find out._ Not a moment later after her train of thought had left her did Dorothy decided to stop being idle. The mistress kicked off with her left foot and sent herself flying directly towards Chao. She seemed to be planning on striking her head on, but just as she was before Chao, Dorothy swiped at the air and a large, grotesque hand shot out from the darkness surrounding her to hit her.

"Ah!" Chao rolled under the hand and severed it from the arm with a supercharged uppercut. When that was done, she turned her attention back to Dorothy whom was still coming at her to do the job that her other hand had failed to accomplish. The Chinese scientist pulled no punches, pulling back her right hand quickly to deliver a crippling blow to the other vampire, however, just as Dorothy was in reach a whirlwind of darkness swallowed her up.

"Cripes!" Chao knew what was going to follow as she instinctively whipped around in time to see, Dorothy rushing forward before the air was completely knocked out of her. She reflexively doubled up in pain, trying desperately to regain that which had been stolen from her only to recieve another kick to the face. _N-not good! This isn't good...at all!_ Her eyes widened in horror when Dorothy gathered darkness in one hand and unleashed it upon her sending her crashing into the floorboards of the ring. Splinters and chunks of concrete flew everywhere.

"Is this all you have to offer me after that declaration of _setting things right_?" Dorothy taunted the girl, walking toward the crater she was lodged in. She stood over her taking in the sight of her battered form and crouched down to grab a fist full of her hair. When she lifted her up Chao winced at the painful feeling in her scalp. "I wonder..." Dorothy's eyes wandered over to Chao's neck and a cruel twinkle briefly lit her gold eyes. "If your blood is nearly as good as your father's." The mistress paused for a moment as if in deep thought before shaking her head. "Probably not, being mixed with your mother's own life essence, however, it should do well for my dry throat regardless."

"Get away!" Chao snarled, kneeing Dorothy's stomach. It did the job, seeing as how the dark mistress let go of her hair to stagger away.

"Little slut." Dorothy growled menacingly. "I'll make sure to savor your death."

"Not if I kill you first!" Chao rushed forward with a kick only to have her attack halted by, Dorothy's dark barrier. _I almost forgot about that._ Chao inwardly cursed pulling back her leg. _But no one is untouchable! She can't be so well protected!_ With that in mind, Chao disappeared and reappeared behind Dorothy to deliver another kick, narrowing her eyes in frustration when another barrier managed to halt her attack. "Come on!" Chao teleported again, striking the barrier harder when it halted her attack yet again. Before long she was hastening herself, appearing and disappearing, kicking and punching at the seemingly indestructible field of darkness at a speed that even Dorothy had a hard time keeping track of.

"You annoying little little insect!" Dorothy spat. "Give up alrea-" Her voice died in her throat when to her surprise, Chao's fist punched right through the barrier opening a hole big enough for her arm to slip through. Her surprise allowed, Chao to violate the limits of the barrier, forcing through it before connecting a punch with, Dorothy's jaw. The mistress's eyes went wide with shock, not so much at the force of the punch but rather at the fact that this weak darkling was able to strike her.

_Can't stop now_! Chao's mind pushed her desperately. If she was going to inflict any real damage it was going to have to be now while, Dorothy was caught off guard. Her gloves exploded with electricity and she punched Dorothy in the stomach following up with another punch and another and another until Dorothy had finally doubled over from the brutal force of her attacks. She kneed the mistress in the chin causing her head to fly back and followed with a palm to the chest. Dorothy staggered back, almost losing her balance but she managed to regain her ground. "Hyaa!" Chao's fury was fueled even further at Dorothy's refusal to fall, kicking the mistress across the face and leading up with an elbow assault to the ribs.

_"You..."_ Chao growled furiously.

**_-----------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"Momma? Momma, where are you?"_**

**_-----------------------------------------------------------_**

_"It was all your doing..."_

**_-----------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"No...I didn't want...you to see me this way, treasure..."_**

**_-----------------------------------------------------------_**

Chao grabbed Dorothy by the back of the neck and pulled her forward into another incoming knee. By this time the mistress wasn't showing any resistance to her onslaught of attacks.

_"You took mother away..."_

**_------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"W-what's wrong momma?!"_**

**_"Hide, Chao-chan! She might still be here! Wait until your father comes!"_**

**_"Fa...ther?"_**

**_------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"You took away my father..."_

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**_"XUE?! Xue, dear god! What went on here?!"_**

**_"Negi..Negi, listen to me! Take, Chao away... from here."_**

**_"But Xue-"_**

**_"Please, just do it! It's too late...for me..."_**

**_---------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"I lost everything I loved because of you..."_

**_---------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"Daddy?! What about momm-"_**

**_"She's going to be alright."_**

**_"But-"_**

**_"Chao, listen to me. No more questions please!"_**

**_----------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"And even as I hurt you," _Chao delivered another punch to Dorothy's bruised face,_"I still feel cheated, because I know that what pain I inflict on you will never be equal to the pain you've dealt to me!"_

**_----------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"Who is this child, Negi?"_**

**_"Evangeline...I need to ask you a favor."_**

**_"What is it?"_**

**_"I need you to look after Chao."_**

**_"What? Where did this come from? Tell me what's going on."_**

**_"Please master..."_**

**_"...What are you planning, Negi? What are you going to do?"_**

**_"I can't tell you. It's something I don't want anybody else getting involved in."_**

**_-------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Just leave this world!" Chao screamed, sending one final punch to Dorothy with intents of finishing her off, but to her surprise the mistress caught her crackling fist with one hand. The impact of her fist coming in contact with Dorothy's palm was so strong that the stands behind her was crushed by the force. Both of their arms trembled as Chao tried with all of her might to break free of Dorothy's grip but the mistress proved to be much stronger than she was, cracking her knuckles as she tightened her grip considerably.

"Are you done?" Dorothy mocked her, a chilling smile crossing her blood stained face. "I would sure hope so because that was your last chance at letting go of everything." At her words Chao attempted to catch her with her other fist but Dorothy's reflexes were inhumanely swift, catching her fist with her other hand. "You know," Dorothy increased her grip on both of Chao's hands and gradually forced the scientist down upon her knees, "I must admit, you are much stronger than I would have ever guessed. Through out this entire duel I have not seen you so much as shed a tear once. Most individuals would be broken at hearing such a revelation about their loved ones murder."

"..._Ras Tel My...Mag...ic Scir Magi...ster..."_

"So before I kill you..." Dorothy grinned wildly. "I want to see you cry." She forced Chao down even harder until the girl was bending backwards. "I want to see you cry as you finally come to realize that all you've done was for my benefit. You've lost everything and now you will die here in vain, alone without _"father"_ to come save you."

_"To sumbolaion diakonētō moi, o turanne phlogos...Epigenēthētō..."_ Chao slowly chanted in a whisper.

"Excuse me?" Dorothy turned her head. "What was that?"

_"...phlox katharseōs, rhomphaia phloginē. Rheusantōn pur kai theion, ha epephlegon Sodoma..."_ Chao's chanting had gradually become faster and strained as the pain slowly began to set within her body.

"What are you saying girl? Speak up! I can't hear you!" Dorothy blinked when she noticed a symbol on Chao's forehead glowing dimly. "Wait...what are you doing brat?"

_"... hamartōlous, eis choun thanatou! Ourania Phlogōsis!" _Chao cried out her last words as her body started convulsing when the pain from channeling her spell had finally become too much for her to bear. Dorothy felt the temperature spike and looked up when the ground took on a red glow. The sky opened up as though it was welcoming something from high above and before anyone could react a firestorm zeroed down on their position. The blaze was so intense that, Dorothy felt her own skin bubbling before the inferno even engulfed them.

...Nothing was left in it's wake...

* * *

**_-------------------------------F---------------------------------------V---------------------------------------------A------------------------------------_**

**_A few hours prior to the showdown..._**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_We turn to Negi Springfield's troublesome life..._**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

Life would always have a tendency to throw a curve ball; unexpected and usually unwanted, however, in the case of Negi Springfield, such a curve ball would be of a rather extreme nature. The young magi's life seemed to always be at the mercy of some cruel deity, shoving him into awkward situations and having a ball watching him try his hardest to get out of it_(...cough...)_ and at this moment that had not failed to plague him. His intentions were pure and innocent. He simply wanted to pay a visit to his student who also happened to invite him to a concert that she was going to be preforming at. Naturally this meant that she would br practicing at the concert sight so that was his first selection in seeking her out. He asked a few questions of her where abouts with, Kotaro and the others along for the ride and that brought him to aforementioned student's changing room. Now, usually when a person was occupying a room with no desire of being seen or spoken to, they would lock the door so when Negi felt the door knob twist to it's full extent he believed that all was well with him walking in.

Unfortunately this was not to be so being that as soon as he opened the door he was welcomed by the sight of Ako leaning toward her mirror with nothing keeping wandering eyes from taking in the view of her bare upper body. Her natural response was to scream at her unexpected audience and for Negi in turn to look away in utter embarassment and burn shades of crimson that would put a rose to shame. Kotaro flinched at the sight as well and looked away in horror while Chachamaru, Chisame, and Chachazero could only shake their heads at the scene that began to unfold before their very eyes. Why did this sort of thing always manage to befall their hapless teacher or in the puppet's case, her master; they would never know.

_"Nagi?! Look, hurry and bond with me!" _The Dark Ako in the mirror tried to get Ako's attention but the girl was much too shocked at Negi's sudden appearance that all she could do was bury her face in her hands. _"Look little girl! I am your only chance at winning this man! Bond with me now or he will slip through her hands!"_

"Oh gawd..." Ako moaned in shame.

"Hey!" Chisame hissed at Negi through her teeth. "Get away from here now!"

"I didn't know she would be na-"

"Hey! What's going on?!" Madoka's voice drowned out Negi's attempt to justify his position in the situation. She saw Negi and Kotaro standing within the light pouring out from the doorway of Ako's changing room and almost immediately, her mind formed a scenario that wasn't very pleasant. She pushed past Kotaro and looked into the room to see Ako with her face still buried in her hands and her nose and eyes flared furiously.

_What did these bastards do to-_ Apparently Madoka's hands were much faster than her thoughts being that she had already pulled back her hand and slapped Negi before she even completed her train of thought. Kotaro saw her whip her head in his direction to deal a painful slap to his face as well, but as soon as she pulled her hand back he was ready for her, blocking her hand before she could touch him.

"Grrr..." Madoka fumed in embarrassment at her failed attempt, however, she made up for it with a quick punch to the young man's face.

"That hurt..." Kotaro said, sounding bored more than anything else.

"Shut up!" Madoka shoved her hand in his face to shut him up and turned to Negi, demanding, "What the hell are you guys doing here?!"

"I'm sorry, it was my fault-"

"Damn right, it was your fault you dumb jerks! Listen, "She advanced upon Negi threateningly, "Ako-" The infuriated young woman was cut short when she suddenly felt a tug on her arm. Her first instinct was to try and defend herself, however, when she saw who it was she stopped herself.

"Kugimiya!" Ako cried out. "Stop it! It wasn't their fault!" Ako gripped her friend's arm tightly to keep her from making any sudden movements. "I didn't lock the door. It was my fault!"

"Ako..." Madoka felt her temper failing when she saw the tears beginning to well up in Ako's red eyes. Instead of helping the situation she was only making it worse than it already had been. _Oh no..._ The raven haired student bowed her head slightly. Ako turned to Negi, still gripping Madoka's arm more for her own sake than Negi's and apologized, "N-Nagi-san," Ako cleared her throat when she already felt her nerve failing her, "I'm sorry. You came by to visit me and now...everything...is...is..."

_"What are you doing? You sound like a dying fish."_

"I'm the one who should be sorry, Ako. I just wanted to-" Negi stopped in mid-sentence when Ako had finally crumbled under all of the embarrassment. She shoved past him before he could say anything else and dashed for the exit. Negi and Madoka both panicked at her reaction while Kotaro merely blinked in confusion at all that had transpired. "What happened?" The dog demon asked obliviously, his eyes lingering on the exit the young lady had taken to escape. "What's her problem?" Those words were all that was needed to fuel Madoka's temper again, ripping off her tie and slapping Kotaro with it using as much force as she could possibly muster. She wanted so badly to do more but her worry for her friend overcame anything else that came to mind. With that she took off in a mad dash as well to look for the run away.

"AKO!" Her voice echoed through the halls as she made her exit.

"Geez..." Kotaro rubbed his nose to soothe the sting from Madoka's tie slap."What is the deal with them? This is why I don't like girls. They're such a pain."

"Fool." Chisame got both young men's attention, walking up towards them. "You saw it, didn't you?" The little girl asked Negi as she placed her hands upon her hips. "The scar on her back...you had a glimpse of it, right?" Negi nodded in response at her question and Chisame shook her head slowly, continuing, "Well, she's very self conscious about it and the fact that you'd seen it was probably enough to crush her confidence around you...maybe more than that. It probably just crushed her entirely."

"...I see." Negi said softly.

**_--------------------------F-----------------------------V----------------------------------A--------------------------_**

There was no specific destination in mind. There was no intention of turning back either. The only thing Ako knew was that she wanted to run as far away from Negi as possible and never show her face to him again. He'd seen it. He'd seen the feature upon her common form that cursed her with ugliness and self-doubt. What would he want to do with her now? Why would he even want to associate his self with such a flawed character; a _"background"_ character no less with no sense of importance. She ran through the gradual shift of night slowly being overcome with the darkness that was clawing it's way out within her very being.

_This is terrible! This isn't how our second meeting was supposed to be like! _Ako covered her face in shame with her hand never breaking her pace. _He's seen my scar! He must be repulsed by me now! _

_**Get ahold of yourself girl. Who ever said that this was over?**_

Ako shook her head desperately when she heard the deep, sultry voice invade her thought once again. She shouldn't be listening to something so dangerous. What she experienced within her changing room was nothing more than an illusion created by her own self doubt. She was simply so overcome with doubt that her mind, in it's attempt to lift her confidence forced a momentary state of introspective rebellion. Yeah, that's the ticket! That all really didn't happe-

**_Stop trying to shut me out..._**

"Oh gawd. I'm finally losing my mind!" Ako moaned in despair. Her whole world was crashing down around her and all she had now was some inner tormentor that refused to release it's hold upon her mind. "Leave me alo-oooooh!" The young woman tripped and fell to the floor before she could finish her sentence. She picked herself off the ground after lying motionlessly for a moment and finally took in her surroundings to come to the realization that she had run a rather long distance and judging by the darkness of evening, a rather long period of time. Her shoulders rose and fell raggedly as the toll of her run caught up with her body and her hands were trembling. Her eyes spied a clock that was posted near the fountain she was standing before and they drooped when she saw the hands of the clock point to six o' clock. It wouldn't be long before the concert started.

"What am I doing here?" She questioned herself. _The concert is going to start. I really should be getting back...I can't let down my bandmates. _Yet despite the weight of her words the weight of self-doubt that was upon her wouldn't allow her legs to budge. She turned away from the clock and threw herself upon the ledge of the fountain. "But I can't do it! I just can't do it while Nagi is there watching me!"

_But if you don't show up to the concert, you'd be bailing out on your friends! That would make you look like loser! _A voice cried out in her head though this one held a different quality from the dark one that had been speaking to her before. She leaned over towards the water in the fountain to stare a her own reflection to see her dark alter ego staring back at her. "What the-this can't be real..." Ako's eyes gradually widened as her reflection grinned back at her. She saw blood trickle down her forehead and before she knew it the world around her started to spin. She was losing consciousness and there was no pulling back this time...

_**Scars?**_

_**...Don't allow yourself to be bothered by something so small...**_

_**...When we claim, Negi-chan for ourselves, he will be there to lick our wounds...**_

_**...To tend to our desires...**_

_**...To quench our insatiable thirsts...**_

_**...Our passion will be one...**_

_**...And our loneliness shan't plague us anymore...**_

* * *

Ako opened her eyes to take in the sight of the evening sky and almost immediately, she felt a heavy feeling spread through out her chest, a feeling she knew all too well. Her eyes darted to the clock quickly and sure enough...fate had dealt her yet another blow. The concert had long passed and she let her friends down. Misa, Madoka, and Sakurako probably hated her right now and worst of all Nagi must have been disappointed in her. This was the story of her life: one let down after another and she was usually the root of it all. 

"Why?" Tears began building up in her eyes as she questioned her misfortune. "Why am I such a loser?!" She raised her fist over her head as the tears dripped down from her chin and she punched the ground as hard as she possibly could. "Nothing ever goes right!" Her voice built up some intensity as an indescribable feeling slowly grew deep within her. "Nothi-"

"Ako-san?" Negi's voice came from behind her softly. She sucked in her tear quickly at the sound of his voice yet dared not turn to face him. "I finally found you." His voice sent shivers of pleasure through her body. She simply could not get enough of his soothing voice. It filled her with such comfort and yet at the same time she could feel her every muscle tense. She wanted to do so many things with him; so many things _to _him.

_W-where did that come from?! _Ako blushed furiously at the thoughts that had suddenly struck her. At the same time she felt a slight tingling from her canines as though they were trying to send her some sort of message. Luckily for Negi, she wasn't able to fully comprehend why. One would wonder, however, if the young woman's inner darkness was the source of it all. Ako felt a deep need to investigate these odd feelings but she was pulled out her her thoughts when Negi spoke again, asking, "So...ready to go ak to the concert?" Ako regarded him to see the mellow smile on his face and couldn't help but feel an odd lift within. At the same time, however, she knew that it was too late for her anyway.

"Its too late." Ako told him, bowing her head.

"That's ok." His words perplexed her. What could possibly make any of this ok? She let down her friends! She was tempted to snap at him but she was caught off guard when he offered her a bow causing his long jacket to flutter in the air elegantly. He looked like one of those suave agents from the movies she had seen with Misa and the others. What was it about this young man or anybody who was related to Negi that made them so special?

"Allow me to cast a spell for you." He looked so dreamy to Ako right now. She could practically hear her heart thumping in her ears, and she felt herself become even more flustered when, Negi leaned towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. It was at that moment that Ako would inwardly declare that life had it's sweet points and if death decided to take her now she would take it's hands with a content smile. How was any of this happening to her? She practically went from the pits to cloud nine in no time at all!

"Uh...Nagi-san..."Ako could have sworn that her tongue was beginning to swell. It was getting rather hard to make out words so she opted for, "W-whoa..."

"Ako-san, will you close your eyes for me." His words made her face explode with heat.

_Oh...m-my...why is he asking me to close my eyes for?! _Her eyes immediately went for his soft, tempting lips. Were those going to be her's?! Was he going to kiss her? "Wha?" Ako's mind was in the process of shutting down. "B-but..." Something in the back of her mind was trying to find a way out of this before it could go any further, but it's influence didn't last too long seeing as how it's voice was drowned out by all the other voices rising in her mind telling her to go for it.

"Trust me." Negi told her in a warm tone of voice. "Close them."

"O-okay..." How could she say no? It was quiet for a moment making her sweat in anticipation, but the sweet silence was broken when she heard Negi begin to chant in another language. Her initial reaction was to blush because she was under the impression that he was whispering sweet nothings to her. _(Heh, I couldn't help it...) _Of course, being that this was, Negi we're referring to, that most certainly was not the case...

**_---------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning back time..._**

**_---------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"Ako..."_**

_Hmmm?_

_**"AKO!"**_

"YES?!" Ako raised her head quickly from it's resting place upon her arms, a sliver of drool threatening to form a hanging string of saliva from her chin. She blinked a few times when the rays of sunlight bathed her face and the sounds of cheerful students gong along their business fill her ears. There was definitely something wrong about this picture. Last she remembered it was dark outside and she wasn't sitting in the middle of the World Tree plaza. "H-huh? W-what?" Where was her, Nagi? "A dream? Another...dream?" Her eyes scrolled around for some sort of indication of the time and she found a clock near the stair steps leading up to the World Tree. It was one o' clock. What a relief...

"WHEW!" Ako sighed, immensely pleased with the unexpected turn in events. "It was a dream!" She ran her hands through her hair, leaning back in her seat to take in the lovely sight of the clear blue sky before she slumped over and hit the table. There was indeed a god! "What a nightmare! Nagi sees my scar, and I miss the live show...I just could've died!" Her thoughts took a different course when something else came to mind. She had to admit that the nightmare had it's perks. "The very end though..."

**_"Allow me to cast a spell for you."_**

"It was super romantic." Ako said dreamily, a smile crossing her lips. _He was like a night in shining armor, appearing before me like that._ She giggled softly and caressed her cheeks, flushing crimson. "A-and he said he was going to cast a spell for me. Talk about wishful thinki-"

"Good morning!" Negi's voice cut her connection to any line of thought almost instantly.

"Oh, gawd...what is he doing here?!" Ako hissed to herself with a blush. Perhaps this was just another dream. That had to be the only explanation for his sudden appearance. There he was leaning over the side of the tale in her direction. He had a care free smile upon his lips that simply whisked her away and his manner of dress put all other male students around him to shame. He looked so mature, so irresistably desirable within her eyes.

_ARGH! What's going on with me today?! _Ako wanted to bash her head against a nearby wall to rid herself of these dangerous thoughts. For some reason it just wouldn't fail. Anything that crossed her mind regarding Nagi always followed a bold path. It was almost as if there was something other than herself that was influencing her thoughts...then again..._That weird dream from earlier kept on facing me with some creepy version of myself that wouldn't stop bothering me with this sort of stuff. _She shook her head wildy, brushing the thought aside. _Get a grip on yourself! It was just a dream, nothing more!_

"Sleeping outdoors?" Negi asked her, taking a seat at the table with her much to her growing nervousness. "You could catch a cold that way, you know?" He chuckled to her lightly. When he realized that she wasn't about to respond to his words he decided to go on regardless. "So your concert is tonight isn't it?"

"Um, y-yeah." Ako replied, finally gathering her nerve.

"Shall we go on a date until then?"

While this conversation took it's course, Chachamaru and the others watched on in the distance to ensure that everything went well. Well, in truth they all had their seperate reasons. Chachazero for one wasn't too discreet about her reasons despite the fact that she really wouldn't have had any choice in the matter anyway. Chachamaru felt a slight anomaly in her gears simply watching Negi converse with Ako. Something told her that she was supposed to be sitting where Ako currently reside, however, being who she was, she wasn't abut to let others know that.

Chisame on the other hand simply tagged along for the chance to see just how her teacher would fair in this sort of situation. It would really help her find out just why so many young women were attracted to him. Sheer looks alone couldn't possibly earn him the attention that he received from the female populace everyday although she herself had to admit that he was rather adorable in his younger form. Not that she was really complaining about his current form. As for Kotaro's reason for hanging around...he really had nothing else to do and he learned the hard way how an argument with any of Negi's students would end up, Chachazero being no exception if not even more terrifying.

"From the looks of it, Negi-sensei will be doing most of the talking on this date." Chisame commented from her spot between Chachamaru and Kotaro. "Ako-san is far too shy to even make any sudden movements around him."

"Master Negi..." Chachazero whined softly from her perch upon Chachamaru's head. "Why does he always leave me whenever he does this sort of stuff?"

"Perhaps because carrying around a puppet would be rather bizarre in his current state." Chachamaru offered.

"I don't remember asking you anything." The puppet snapped at her before turning her attention back to her master and the _"unworthy"_ girl that was in his presence. Sometimes she just didn't understand why her master wasted his time with such characters when he had other things on his hands. Take his frightful experience on the Mahora bridge earlier for example. Wasn't he going to investigate that? Asking, Evangeline of her business with _this "Dorothy_" woman wouldn't have been much of a bad idea either. "Look at her..." Chachazero narrowed her eyes at Ako imperceptibly as if she was trying her best to acquire heat vision. "...Something about her just bothers me."

"She does look a little different." Kotaro suddenly commented out of the blue getting the attention of all three girls. Their quick reaction caught him off guard for a moment.

"Explain." Chachamaru nodded him on.

"Well, for one, her posture is slightly different from before. It's almost as thought she's standing a little prouder not to mention the odd little vibes I've been feeling coming off of her." Kotaro went on, gesturing a bit with his hands.

"Very observative." Chisame mused, a little confused by his explanation. What did he mean vibes? Could he sense souls? This whole supernatural magic business was really beginning to give her a monster headache. As if the whole incident regarding the aging pill wasn't enough. "I will agree with you on her posture though. Ako usually doesn't stand so tall." She watched Ako nod after Negi finished speaking with her and gestured to the others when the pair started to make their move. "It looks like Negi-sensei actually managed to pull Ako out of her shell."

"Of course he did." Chachazero said, almost sounding offended. _Who could possibly resist master Negi in that form? They'd have to have no attraction to men, period..._ Had the puppet been capable she may have started blushing from the images that began filling her dangerous mind.

"Then this should prove to be interesting." Chisame smirked.

Chachamaru rolled her eyes...

**_------------------------------------------------_**

**_On with the date!_**

**_------------------------------------------------_**

Ako looked up at the ceiling of her changing room as she pressed her shirt against her exposed chest. This had to be a dream, it just had to be. There was no way that she was actually going to be going on a date with Nagi of all people, and without any mishaps as of yet to boot. She looked into the mirror that she was standing in front of and to her relief there was no sign of her dreaded alter ego. Is she didn't make an appearance than this had to be reality. She knew that talking to herself in the mirror wasn't possible. There simply wasn't any logic to it. "Alright, alright, pace yourself , Ako." The shy rocker spoke to herself looking directly into the mirror. "It's just a date...there's nothing to be afraid of."

**_"Nothing indeed..."_**

_Ako looked around the room for the source of the unexpected agreement..._

"And that was all in my head..." Ako tried to tell herself. "That's right. Nothing more than a figment of my wild imagination."

**_"And after all we've talked about you still keep on denying me...No matter."_** After the voice was done speaking Ako felt an odd sensation run through her entire body. Her hair felt as though it was standing on end, her hands went stiff as electricity seemed to spark at the ends of her fingertips, her scar felt as though it was on fire yet she could not scream, and her vision started going red. Her whole body began to pulse wildly as though something from within was trying desperately to break out of her very being and before she knew it...the feeling vanished in an instant. Cold sweat ran down her face as she hunched over to catch her breath. "O-oh gawd...what was that?"

_"Ako-san?" _Negi's voice rang from outside the door. _"Are you alright?"_

"Um, yeah!" Ako replied quickly. She pulled on her clothes as fast as she possibly could without wrinkling them too much and looked at herself in the mirror, nodding in satisfaction at her appearance. It was an odd feeling that she felt at that moment. Was it confidence? She wasn't sure but it felt good. "Alright," She opened the door after pulling the strap of her pocketbook over her shoulder and opened the door to allow Negi to see her. "I'm ready Nagi-san."

Negi smiled when he saw what she had on and complimented, "You look great, Ako! What an adorable outfit!"

"You think so?" Ako asked with a blush as she looked down at herself.

"Really! You look great!" Negi assured her."It's sporty and cute...it's perfect."

"Th-thank you." Ako told him, walking a little closer towards him though Negi took no notice of it. It wasn't until he felt her grab his hand that he almost flinched. This definitely wasn't something he'd expect from her. The look of longing that graced her features sent shivers down his spine. He'd been on a "date" with Takane and Mei before and he handled it pretty well. Hell, he'd gone on a date with Asuna and Nodoka before and he never felt this way. Now that he really thought about it there was something a bit off about Ako.

"...It feels eerily familiar." Negi mumbled to his self.

"Excuse me?" Ako asked.

"Oh, nothing." Negi lied.

"So should we go?"

"Sure." Negi nodded.

* * *

"Whoa, personality change?" Kotaro grinned obliviously as he watched the scene unfold. " And here I thought Negi was in control. She just grabbed on to him like he was a piece of candy hanging in front of her." The look on his face did well to annoy Chachazero and Chachamaru who weren't exactly comfortable with the way Ako had begun handling their young magi. Chisame could only look on in wonder. If the others were here to see it they would never believe it. 

"Whaddya know?" The little girl quipped. "This date might not be so one sided after all."

"It will be when I'm done with her..." Chachazero growled darkly.

"Calm yourself." Chachamaru whispered to her.

"Um..." The puppet eyed Chachamaru's twitching hand. "Follow your own advice, eh?"

* * *

"Onesan?" Mei looked to her elder magistress as they walked the festival areas to scout out for any confessions. Lately, Takane had been looking rather lively not to mention just a tad bit excited. The cause of this upbeat behavior was a mystery to Mei. Well, actually she did have a hunch. It could have a direct connection to their last meeting with a certain young man who was in a word, "handsome." After his last conversation with Takane, or exchange would be a better word for it since it didn't last too long, Negi seemed to have more things on his mind than staying around to hear the young woman's suspicions and rants. Every time they would meet up that was all she had to say to him. Was it merely out of jealousy? With the way Takane had been acting as of late, Mei wouldn't have put it past that. It was as though the blonde magistress had developed some sort of obsession for him. 

"What's troubling you, Mei?" Takane asked, turning her head to regard her underling. Oddly enough her beauty seemed to have been enhanced somehow. Her gold hair bounced when she turned her head and her eyes had taken on an intense glow. Her movements had become much more fluid as well. It was enough to disturb, Mei to a degree.

"Nothing really." Mei replied with a sheepish grin. "I was, uh, just wondering...why you're so happy lately. It's a complete change from earlier when we were at that tea ceremony." She averted her eyes in slight embarrassment for asking the question. It wasn't that, Takane being happy was something out of the ordinary; no it wasn't that at all...really. It's just that Takane, humming tunes to herself with a little pep in her step was completely foreign to Mei. In fact the red-head would pick Takane and her wacky suspicions any day over what she was witnessing now.

"You ask as though here's something wrong with my mood." Takane said, sounding somewhat offended. She ended her sentence with a grin that sent chills down, Mei's spine. Her eyes lingered over the blonde vixen's sparkling white teeth before stopping upon her left canine. Now it wasn't that Mei was just a bit creeped out to the point that her mind was forming illusions, but she could swear that a person's canines weren't usually that long...or lethally sharp for that matter. In fact-

_Takane stopped grinning when she noticed Mei scrutinizing her..._

-hold that thought...

"Why are you looking at me that way Mei?" Takane inquired curiously, leaning over to her underling.

"N-no reason." Mei lied, feeling very uncomfortable with the way her superior was looking at her. It was at that moment when she averted her eyes that she realized that the both of them had stumbled into the amusement area of the festival grounds, which was really odd because they were supposed to be scouting the area's near the World Tree and this was definitely nowhere near the specified areas that were given to them. _Did onesan purposely lead us here? This just isn't like her..._

"Are you alright?" Takane persisted with her questions. "You've been behaving quite oddly since we got back from the tournament."

_Oh, you're really one to talk. _Mei rolled her eyes.

**_WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!_**

Mei and Takane flinched when the roller coaster car that was grinding the stomach curdling, steel structure around them jetted directly over their heads, the screams from the people strapped on the red and orange bullet assaulting their ears. Mei stood stiff as a board, her heart pumping with shock inspired adrenaline while Takane had other things on her mind like, why did one of those screams within the multitude of other screams sound so familiar? Of course she didn't take the time to question why she was capable of distinguishing that one scream out of all the others.

"That sounded like-"

**_"NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"_** Ako cried out the rest of Takane's words as she gripped the braces that kept her body from being flung off the coaster car. She managed to turn her head to regard Negi whom was sitting beside her, his red hair whipping along with the wind rushing through them. Her heart was simply racing not just because of what she was riding, but because of whom she was riding with.

_Oh jeez! This isn't a dream! This isn't a dream! I'm actually spending my day with Nagi! _The roller coaster took on a loop that followed into a relentless drop and she closed her eyes. This is what she had been missing for so long and she was never going to let this feeling go. "Nagi!" She cried out his name even though she knew he wouldn't be able to hear it with all the screams coming from the people riding with them. "I never want this to end!"

"What?!" Negi screamed.

"Nohing!" She screamed back.

Mei finally regained her composure and looked to Takane. The blonde magistress was looking in every direction frantically as though she'd lost something very dear. "Onesan! Are you alright?!"

"Quite down for a second. will you?" Takane hissed at her underling with complete disregard for all the other noises that practically dwarfed Mei's question in the first place.

"You're beginning to act weird agai-"

"MEI!"

"Don't hurt me!"

* * *

**_-----------------------------------------------------_**

**_To the restaurant..._**

_**-----------------------------------------------------**_

"Good afternoon sir!" A waitress standing beside the reservation desk greeted Negi as he walked in to the restaurant with Ako by his side. They stopped at a nice place located somewhere near the amusement area. From the looks of it the settlement seemed to be an organized attraction by one of the culinary clubs in Mahora campus although it probably didn't compare to Chao's restaurant. Satsuki's cooking would put even the most talented culinary student to shame. The waitress's eyes roamed all over Negi to take in his looks much to Ako's discomfort. It was as though the waitress didn't even see her come in with him. "A party of one sir?" She asked hopefully, plans to steal his heart cranking in her mind like a crack induced hamster running on it's wheel

"For two, actually." Ako answered in Negi's place taking the waitress by surprise. Even Ako surprised herself with that sudden answer. It almost felt as though her mouth moved on it's own.

"Very well." The waitress said, gripping the menus in her hand. The smile on her face started to seem rather strained as opposed to the genuine smile she greeted Negi with. She gestured for the couple to follow her, saying, "This way please."

"Thanks." Negi offered her a polite smile that made her fluster. At this reaction Ako's hand found itself gripping Negi's arm rather possessively to the point that her fingers were digging into the sleeve of his jacket.

"Um, are you okay, Ako-san?"

"I'm just fine, Nagi." Ako replied with a smirk, dropping the honorific this time.

"...Okay..." Negi sounded unsure of his own response.

**_---------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

Kotaro held Chisame up so she could peek into the window of the restaurant in time to see, Ako grip Negi's arm. The look on the shy rocker's face when she pressed herself against his arm was very unusual for her. It almost looked...evil...

"Can I ask a question?" Kotaro asked Chisame.

"Technically you didn't give her much of a choice stupid." Chachazero snapped at him.

"Shaddup ya' waste of wood!" Kotaro countered.

"Wanna say that in my face mutt?!"

"I'll do more than that pinnocchio!" Kotaro growled before feeling a small foot smack him on he side of his head. "Gah..."

"Stay still, huh?" Chisame ordered. " Now what was it that you wanted to ask?" The little girl asked, ignoring the evil cackle that left the sadistic puppet's mouth.

"Why are we following Negi around anyway?"

"To make sure that the brat plays the part of a gentleman." Chisame answered, narrowing her eyes.

"However, there seems to be no need for that." Chachamaru decided to speak from behind. "Negi-kun has not done anything that would suggest otherwise. In fact, Izumi seems to be the aggressive partner in this engagement. Her behavior seems highly questionable. My studies of our classmates have shown that her actions are a dramatic change from how she would usually go about such situations."

"Not to mention that odd aura is still floating around her like a fog." Kotaro added. "It's pretty hard to read her."

**_-----------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Here is," The waitress set Ako's drink near her fork and knife, " your lemonade." She said before turning to Negi with his drink, a mischievous grin playing upon her lips as she winked at him. "And this," She grabbed Negi's drink from the circular tray in her hand and set it down before him as well,"is your iced tea. You didn't specify before whether you wanted it sweetened or unsweetened so I went ahead and made it sweetened. Is that alright with you, hun?" Her words dripped with honey that, Ako quite frankly felt was irritating. What the hell did this floozy think she was doing with **_her_**, Nagi? Another streak of annoyance went through her when Negi had the nerve to pay her some mind.

"Thank you." He told the waitress, nodding his head slightly.

"You're welcome." She smiled warmly at him. "You know, I haven't seen you around here before." She started off a conversation with him. "Although you do seem kind of familiar."

"Do I?" His response caused a vein to bulge on Chisame's forehead as she eavesdropped from the window while a frightening expression slowly washed over Ako's lovely features.

"Oh!" The waitress tapped the side of her cheek as she recalled something. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Negi Springfield, would you?" Her question gt a nervous chuckle out of the magi.

"H-how did you know?" Negi asked.

"Oh, you look so much alike!" She said giddily. "If you ask me, that boy is really something. There are so many girls trying to be transferred over to his class. He's probably the most popular male teacher on campus second to Takamichi-sensei."

"Is that so?" Negi was surprised to hear her words.

"Then there's the fact that he's super cool!" At his point the young waitress seemed to be a fan girl of the young magi. He could practically see stars exploding within her chocolate colored eyes. "I," she placed a hand on her chest as she rested her tray in front of Ako, "had the honor of watching him fight in the Mahora Budokai. He really is amazing, I tell ya and if he's ever as lucky to look as handsome as you are he'll never be able to get anytime to his self."

**_"She's a crafty little fox, isn't she?"_** The voice of Ako's alter ego invaded her mind with a hint of irritation laced within her words. **_"She is seriously trying to snatch our dear Nagi from before our very eyes."_**

_I'll admit that she really is beginning to get on my nerves._

_**"Then shouldn't we do something to silence her? Surely you aren't simply going to let her walk away after the disrespect she is showing you..."**_

_Silence her? W-what do you mean?_

_**"Don't play coy. Punish her, strike her down, ensure that she will never look his way ever again!"**_

_Leave...me...alone..._

"Excuse me?"

_Hmm?_

"Excuse me." The waitress called Ako's attention a little louder, snapping the young woman out of her thoughts.

"U-uh, yes?" Ako asked uneasily.

"Are you ready to order yet?" She asked.

"Er..." Ako quickly picked up her menu and scrolled for the first dish that piqued her interest. "I-I'll have the stuffed clams."

"...Alright." the waitress jotted down her order and turned away to leave, but not before sparing her one last glance. The look on her face did well to catch Ako off guard. It was almost as though she was sending her some sort of unspoken challenge.

_**-------------------------------------------------------------**_

"Wow, you girls are really competitive, huh?" Kotaro asked with a chuckle.

"You've no idea." Chisame replied, rolling her eyes.

"If I were there with Master Negi, I'd set that flirtatious little weasel straight." Chachazero looked down at her counterpart and asked, "How 'bout you?"

"I will not answer that question..." Chachamaru replied coldly.

**_---------------------------------------------------------------_**

"So are you enjoying yourself so far, Ako-san?" Negi asked the young woman after he was done taking a sip from his drink.

"Yes." Ako nodded with a blush. "Um, I would appreciate it if you just called me, Ako."

"Oh." Negi blinked. "Sure!" He grinned at her before going on, "So do you know where you want to go next? We sill have plenty of time before you go on to preform at your concert." His mention of the concert she had ahead of her made her stomach to flips. She was having so much fun that she had completely forgotten about that!

_That's right! I forgot about that! _Once again her mind started racing at all the bad things that could befall her upon preforming. She was having such a wonderful day with Nagi. She didn't want to go on and destroy it by making a fool of herself in front of him. This wasn't good. This definitely wasn't good.

**_"Get a grip will you? I thought we completely got over that already!"_**

_B-but-_

_**"Just calm down already!"**_

"Um, Ako." Negi cocked his head to the side when the girl started looking into the distance. "Hello?"

"Y-yes?" Ako asked quickly.

"It looked like you were zoning out for a second there. Are you alright?"

"I'm just a little nervous, is all." Ako admitted.

"About the concert?"

"Yes..."

"Don't be." Negi told her with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you'll blow everyone away! I'm very eager to hear you play."

"A-are you now?" Ako stammered. "W-well I'll try my best."

**_"Oh my gawd, he is so awesome..."_**

_What?_

_**"Huh? Hey, pay attention before you start phasing out again!"**_

"I'm glad to hear that." Negi said warmly. The next few minutes between them were spent in silence as Negi drank from his cup and Ako bowed her head slightly taking in the designs that were elaborately done on the table cloth. She glanced up at Negi for a moment feeling a little intimidated before asking, "Um...Nagi?"

"Yes?" Negi turned his attention back to her, setting his glass down upon the table. Almost as though their waitress had been waiting for that very moment she popped out of nowhere and set a new glass of iced tea for the magi.

"Here you are." She smiled at him sweetly.

"T-thanks." Negi sweat-dropped. He wasn't completely oblivious to what was happening surprisingly enough. "Um, what is your name?" Of course he was still oblivious to somethings like how much discomfort their waitress was putting on Ako, and the fact that he bothered to know her name didn't help things much at all.

"Rosetta." She answered with a brilliant smile. She thought he'd never ask.

"Ahem..." Ako cleared her throat.

"Yes, Ako?" Negi asked innocently before seeing her gesture to the waitress with her eyes. He caught on and dismissed the young much to the shy rocker's pleasure. When the waitress was out of sight he leaned over slightly and asked, "You wanted to ask me something didn't you?"

"That's right." Ako replied sheepishly.

"What's on your mind?"

"Well...do you recall a time in the past when we met at Mahora city?" When she saw Negi thinking hard about it she decided to be little clearer. "I was with Yuna and the others shopping for some clothes." Negi nodded along with his words, but he still didn't seem to be following too well. She took a deep breath when she understood what she would have to include for him to remember and went on, "A blonde girl was with you at the time..." At those words, Negi's face lit up with realization.

_She's referring to the time Takane invited me for dinner with Mei accompanying us. What would she want to ask me about regarding that time? _Negi pushed his thoughts aside and nodded, saying, "Yes, I remember now."

"Um, I just wanted to know because it's been sorta bothering me for a while." Ako grabbed her napkin and held it under the table where Negi wouldn't be able to see her twisting it. The look of curiosity that was on his handsome face was seriously making her nervous. "What is she to you?"

"Excuse me?"

"The blonde girl...how close are you two?" The look in Ako's eyes had suddenly become intense. "Is she your girlfriend by any chance?"

"T-Takane-san, my girlfriend?!" Negi almost fell out of his seat. "No, no...she isn't my girlfriend." Negi answered her.

"I'm glad to hear that." Ako's mouth spoke ahead of her mind much to her embarrassment.

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Takane-san?" Chisame quirked an eyebrow. "Who's Takane-san? I've never heard of her before?"

"Oh, her? She's some chick that was stalking Negi for a while." Kotaro replied bluntly.

"A stalker?" Chisame asked, sounding slightly disturbed.

"Yep." Chachazero nodded. "Never liked the bitch."

"Huh?" Chachamaru swerved her eyeballs upwards to regard her counterpart.

"I'll say what I want, alright?"

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

Negi set his fork and knife down on the side of his plate after he was done eating and sighed. Ako on the other hand was having some trouble finishing her dish. She never expected it to be so filling. She had one more clam left and it seemed to be taunting her with it's intimidating size. There was no way she was going to be able to finish it by herself so she almost gave up on it, however, something came to mind. Looking over to Negi before looking back down at her plate she scooped up the contents of the clam into her fork and called Negi's attention.

"Yes Ako?" Negi asked.

"You want a bite?" She blushed to herself after she asked the question. "It's delicious."

**_Perhaps not as delicious as you would taste however..._** Ako blinked when that daring thought came to mind and yet the more her thoughts went along that path the less she went against it. Her eyes lingered upon Negi's face trailing down towards his neck. What she wouldn't hesitate to give for a bite at that tempting prize. She could only imagine his light moans as she sucked away, taking in the deliciousness that his blood offered. Then an even better idea came to mind. She wouldn't have minded if he took her into his arms and held her close, whispering sweet nothings into her ears before bringing her into a world of pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. For now, however, she would have to take it slowly as not to scare him away or disgust him. All good things came in time. She just had to make sure that no one would be around to claim him before she had the chance to sink her fangs into him.

_Whoa...I didn't even think I was capable of thinking such things..._ Ako placed her free hand upon her cheek and felt it burning with heat. Her eyes swiveled back to Negi as he looked back at her looking a little unsure of the situation. If she was going to make something happen she was going to have to take things into her own hands. She did just that, leaning over slightly with one hand under the fork to make sure that nothing fell onto the table. Negi had to fight the urge to lean back when the fork was close enough to graze his lips. "Have a bite, Nagi." she persisted. She held her breath as she waited for an answer and it came quite nicely when Negi submitted to her wishes, taking her fork into his mouth before pulling away ever so slowly or at least that's how Ako saw it. Her eyes took in every detail to the point the fork left his lips. _(...I do scare myself sometimes...)_

_"That was delicious."_ Negi said softly.

"You think so?" Ako asked, never pulling back. Both teenagers stared into each other's eyes seemingly in a trance. All Ako had to do was lean in a little closer an she could claim his soft lips for herself.

**_"Come now...don't pull back when he's right in the palm of your hand."_**

Negi sweat dropped as Ako stared directly into his eyes, her face coming towards his at a painfully slow rate. He wasn't really sure what to do at this point.

"...Ako..." Negi said her name nervously when she let out a soft sigh.

"Nagi..." She whispered softly.

**_------------------------------------------------------------_**

"H-h-hold it!"Chisame nearly fell off of Kotaro's shoulders. "What the heck is this?!"

"What's going on, huh?" Kotaro asked in panic. "Did something go wrong?!"

"Er..."

"Tell me already!" Kotaro demanded. "What's going on?"

"It's like the world tree all over again..." Chachazero seethed.

"Are they actually going to go through with it?" Chachamaru's hands trembled slightly, though one would wonder if it was from fear or from holding herself back.

**_--------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"I'll assume that you're done now..."_ Rosetta intervened on the staring session which would have or would not have ended in a hot, steamy kiss. It really depended on how the person reading wanted it to end because the writer sure wasn't about to give them satisfaction. _(Bwahahaha...ahem...what? Kind of lost myself there...) _At her sudden appearance Ako snapped back in place and Negi looked the other way, scratching his head to play it off. He wasn't sure how, but Ako had been pulling him towards her with her eyes during the intense moment they had been sharing seconds ago. It was a relief that the flirtatious waitress decided to show up when she did because any longer and he might have done something questionable.

**_"Oh, this time the girl has gone too far. We must do something about her!"_** Ako's dark voice entered her mind in a fit of rage, much like a little child would when their favorite piece of candy was suddenly snatched away from them without warning.

_I can't do anything that you have in mind!_

_**"And why not?!"**_

_Because I'm not like you!_

_**"We're one! Don't try and deny it!"**_

_Just shut up!_

"So, do you want any desserts?"The waitress asked.

"No, I'm fine." Negi replied.

"And you?" The waitress turned to Ako.

"...No." Ako replied rather darkly.

"Very well. I will get you the bill." Rosetta said with a nod to Negi before walking away. This left both teenagers at the table in a rather awkward position since there really was no excuse for what might have happened moments ago. Negi leaned back and forth on his chair lightly to work off the embarrassment while Ako coughed and looked the other way, her fingers tapping along the surface of the sturdy, circular table with a little beat. When it seemed safe to speak up they both turned to each other, blushed, and looked away again for the next available opportunity to present itself to them. This definitely wasn't a good trend to follow. One of them was going to have to talk to the other eventually. It was a good thing that Rosetta decided to come in again with the check in one hand, however, the presence of a suspiciously folded napkin in the other hand did nothing but dread for Ako.

**_"What is the little tramp trying now?"_**

_Settle down please!_

"Here you go sir." Rosetta handed the bill to Negi before slipping the napkin into the front pocket of his jacket. Negi blinked a few times confused by what had just happened and looked to the waitress to receive a libidinous grin accompanied by a wink and a flying kiss. This did nothing short of push Ako over the edge to the point that her eyes started to look a little like a bonfire was burning within them. When Rosetta had gone away to pump her fist in the air at her success Negi pulled out the napkin and looked into it to find a number; Rosetta's number most likely.

"Er..." Negi crumpled the napkin and went on, "Are you sure you don't want anything before we go?"

"I'd actually like to use the bathroom before we go." Ako told him, standing up.

"Alright then. I'll pay the bill and wait for you at the entrance."

"Okay." with that, Ako walked off.

_**-------------------------------------------------------------------**_

"Where is she going?" Chisame questioned no one in particular as she followed the rocker with her eyes. If she didn't know any better she could swear that Ako entered the same door that the waitress had gone in. "It's obviously not the bathroom..."

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------_**

Rosetta sighed as she pulled off her apron and tossed it onto the chair. She really hated being a waitress, but she wanted to contribute to the festival somehow and she definitely wasn't about to go stand outside in a suit like all the other unfortunate students who refused to participate did. Then there was the bonus that she might have actually scored a hottie. That guy was seriously out of the girls league. She practically sat there and let her have the guy to herself.

"Heh, her loss." Rosetta laughed to herself, remembering the look on Ako's face. That was until she heard the door to the room creak open. "Huh?" She turned around slowly to see Ako standing at the door looking rather disturbing. She had her head bowed slightly with both fists gripped tightly. "What are you doing here, huh?"

"You owe me an apology." Ako said darkly, never raising her head to look up at Rosetta.

"Pfft." the waitress stifled a laugh. "Keep dreaming."

"Have it your way then." Ako finally raised her head to look at Rosetta, eyes burning alight with fury as she grinned revealing her fangs. At this the young waitress wisely began to back away because the only word to describe the way Ako stalked towards her could have been nothing other than madness.

"Uh...s-stay back." Rosetta's voice began to quiver. This was definitely unnatural...

"I don't think so..." Ako grabbed a hold of a chair that was in her way and toppled it over to the side so she could continue advancing upon the scared young woman. "You were trying to take my boyfriend." Ako stopped when she cornered Rosetta and flexed her fingers. "You brought this upon yourself."

**_"Now it's time to face the consequences."_**

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_Hi everybody...it's been a while huh? Well, as much as I could go on apologizing for the long wait, it would be rather pointless because I'm sure I've made it clear in the other chapters I've written. (Kicks at a stone upon the ground.) So as you can see, a little bit of Evangeline's past with Dorothy was revealed even though what happened there is nothing in comparison with what happens between them when they meet again. Dorothy does not forget...and she's quite the vengeful person. Then there's the story regarding the other Dark Mistresses even though I'm trying my best not to reveal them all before the sequel...(If I can work out the story pretty well. It's going along smoothly so far. I even have a nice part for Kotaro in it since I've been neglecting him in this season.)_

_Let's see...oh yeah, as you can tell, I'm really going to go a little further with this Ako dating thing and in the next chapter, Takane finally awakens and the results are shocking. You'll be able to see way more of Evangeline since I'm throwing her date into the mix (Yes, I know...finally) and then theres that lingering irritation about the climax of Chao and Dorothy's conflict. _Is it really then end for them? Most likely not, but hey, I'm not telling...

Until next time,

**_Traingham..._**

**_P.S: I've finally gotten my hands on a decent laptop! Expect the next chapter to come a bit faster than this one... _**


	24. Unspoken thoughts, Part Two

_Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters…_

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Four: Ambivalence_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_1800's ,"Dark Evangel" segment... _**

**_----------------------------------------------------------F------------V-----------A--------------------_**

The skies were dark, swirling with ominous clouds that pounded rain upon the country side. The land was completely barren of any sights of agriculture due to the rapidly increasing infection that had been overcoming all of the potatoes and other crops that once flourished in the land. The only other sounds that echoed through the cold night other than the down pour was the occasional crash and explosion that emanated from a lone armory overshadowed by a hill that had been long abandoned after the last call for war had passed...

_"Ara, ara. "_ Lucinda teetered chillingly as she leaned over to inspect Evangeline's battered form. The Undying wizard was lying against a wall with her blood smothered against it in a red trail that lead down to her sitting position. "It would seem that you were unprepared for this duel. How very unlike you." The way the silver-haired mistress licked her lips after she spoke made Evangeline very uncomfortable.

The Undying wizard narrowed her left eye at her arch rival darkly, wiping her right eye of the blood that was trickling from her forehead. Just like all other times that Evangeline had crossed paths with Lucinda, they engaged each other in a duel on sight. Such a violent relationship could develop between two individuals after centuries of bitterness towards each other. To Lucinda, ending Evangeline's life was the highest pleasure she could ever have. Making her suffer was enough to keep the maniacal smile upon her face for years on end and now that she was currently enjoying her favorite past time she couldn't possibly have been any happier. Her reasons for having such intense feelings of hatred for the "Puppet Master" were complicated, however, if Evangeline were ever to make an assumption she would put her bet on the time she impaled the Dark mistress after the psychotic vixen attempted to have her way with her. In the past Lucinda had a rather disturbing fancy for Evangeline that quite frankly gave her chills, and it took a lot to give the dark wizard chills.

"How did you track me down?" Evangeline asked, carefully pressing her hands against the stone floor of the dark hall as to not alert Lucinda. "You could not have possibly found me here without any assistance." Evangeline offered Lucinda a wry smirk before she added, "How is a girl supposed to get some sleep with stalkers like you prowling around?" She grimaced when Lucinda placed her foot against Evangeline's left shoulder and gave it a hard press sending a stab of pain through her wound.

"It's funny that you should ask that." Lucinda grinned down at her fellow mistress, her foot never alleviating it's pressure upon Evangeline's shoulder wound. "As much as it kills me to admit to it, I did receive some help from someone in tracking you down."

"Who?" Evangeline asked, clenching her teeth painfully. When she was done with this little affair she would pay Lucinda's tip off a visit. She couldn't have anyone just handing out information about her where abouts to her enemies. While she may have been proclaimed, "The Goddess of Oblivion" by many within her nation, she still had needs for a peaceful life. The fact that Lucinda would have an advantage in finding her was something grave as well. She was probably the only adversary she had that could make her sweat at the very sight of her.

"Someone who holds a deep seated hatred for you." Lucinda answered, remaining unclear. She looked down upon Evangeline with a lazy grin that exposed her lethal fangs. "Come now, Dark Evangel..." Lucinda's eyes took on a spark of hatred for a moment, "The list isn't short, however, those daring enough to actually express such feeling outwardly are a handful."

Evangeline thought hard about such an individual. She knew that the council didn't sit well with her existence very well. The fact that she was even breathing meant that she was a threat to their very order. The same could be said of Lucinda; however, the dark mistress wasn't one to look into the affairs of the underworld so much. She could care less about the well being of the nocturnal race. So who would be so bold as to share such information with hopes of ending her life? Who knew her so well as to predict her where abouts so accurately. Who wanted to her to-wait...or rather, was it to get her attention?

_"Dorothy_..." Evangeline snarled, furrowing her brow with building fury.

"Precisely." Lucinda smiled happily. "That's what I loved about you, you're quick and on point."

"Why didn't you end her life?" Evangeline asked.

"Pardon?" Lucinda widened her eyes slightly in mild curiosity. "You asked why I didn't kill her?"

"Yes." The Undying wizard nodded. "Aren't you bothered by the fact that there is someone out there who knows more about me than you?" Evangeline smirked at Lucinda despite the pain in her shoulder. "Doesn't it just make your blood boil_...love_?" The other mistress narrowed her eyes at Evangeline's final word. It was the blonde mistress's way of mocking her and Lucinda was not one to be mocked. Such boldness could only bring upon a grim fate.

"I know that she poses no threat to me." Lucinda answered her. "A weakling such as herself wouldn't be able to do much of anything to hurt me. I see no reason to bother with her." Lucinda pulled her foot back from Evangeline's shoulder wound and allowed it to fall to the floor before turning away to grab a steel rod that was leaning against the wall behind her. She looked over her shoulder back at Evangeline as she gripped the rod and went on, "And she wouldn't be able to do much to you either so I have no worries about her ending your life before I have the pleasure of doing so myself." She lifted the rod and gripped it with her other hand, turning to face her. Her lips curled into a twisted grin that made her look psychotic as she lifted the rod over her head in preparation to impale Evangeline with it. "Well then...shall we pick up where we left off?"

"Go on ahead." Evangeline nodded casually. "I don't mind."

_"Ha...haha...hahahaha!"_ Lucinda cackled, her shoulders trembling in maniacal delight. "Till the end, Evangel, till the end. I'd expect such an attitude from no one else!" With that final exchange Lucinda brought the rod down upon Evangeline quickly, however, instead of feeling the metal pierce flesh accompanied by the delicious squelching noise of her rival being impaled she felt something else. She looked down with a bored expression to see Evangeline gripping the other end of the rod, keeping it from going through her neck. "Oh dear..." Lucinda placed a hand upon her cheek still gripping the rod still with her other hand. "Even now you still fight me."

"Would you…expect me…to do otherwise?" Evangeline asked with a feral grin as she forced the other end of the rod away from her neck. Her eyes swiveled quickly to her shoulder wound when she felt a thick moisture travel down her left side. Her wound should have healed by now so why was it still seeping blood? There was something definitely wrong about this.

_What has she done? _Evangeline inwardly growled as she looked back at Lucinda. She saw the other dark mistress's lips curl into a knowing grin and demanded, "Tell me what you've done!"

"Is it so hard to figure out?" Lucinda asked her in a honey sweet voice that sent shivers through Evangeline. When she realized that Evangeline wasn't about to humor her with a response she went on, "Those _superb_ regeneration abilities that you possess are quite the nuisance so I decided to put a stop to them." She leaned over towards the Undying wizard, applying more force on the rod in the process and whispered, "I'm sure if you _dig_ deep enough…you'll find out exactly what I am referring to_, love_."

"Damn…you." Evangeline snarled at Lucinda. _That Dorothy is a smart girl, I'll give her that. Send someone to kill me instead of doing it yourself…and a damn good pick too. _Evangeline's eyes swiveled between the rod and Lucinda before finally stopping upon her still bleeding shoulder wound. _First I need to live this, and then I'll pay that little girl a visit. _

"GrraaAAH!" Evangeline roared as she gave Lucinda a vicious kick to the stomach. The other dark mistress went flying backwards into the opposing wall, toppling many of the other swords and spears that were hanging against it. Evangeline took that chance to lean against the wall and slump up to her feet. She looked back at Lucinda for a moment to check for some movement and picked up a sword before gripping it in both hands and plunging it into her neck.

"Raaaaksshhh!" Lucinda hacked when the blade went through. "Ervankerlinkth!" She growled wildly as her hands began slapping the ground erratically. "Thish isnk't overksh!"

"No…" Evangeline started, digging her hand into her shoulder. She felt something cold lodged inside and pulled it out to find a sharp stake made from silver. It glinted in the pouring moonlight with her blood for a moment before she looked down at the still struggling, Lucinda McVicar. "It isn't over for you anyway." She licked her lips devilishly as she held it up over her rival's back. "Farewell!"

**_SHINKT!_**

_"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" _

* * *

**_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Mahora Festival: Afternoon Two (Temptress Segment)_**

**_----------------------F-----------------------------------------V-------------------------------------------A-----------------_**

Negi placed his money back in his wallet and walked to the entrance of the restaurant in wait for Ako to return from the bathroom. At least that was where she told him she was going to be although the young woman had other things in mind. In all honesty Negi felt just a bit relieved that the shy rocker had decided to leave him for a brief moment. Being around her made him feel nervous for reasons he couldn't completely comprehend. Whenever she was near him the atmosphere took on a rather ominous mood as if something unpleasant was approaching yet at the same time he was drawn to her by some mysterious affinity that he himself could not get a complete grasp over. The intense moment they shared with each other at the dining table earlier served to prove that. Her eyes were pulling him towards her somehow much like Evangeline's whenever she stared him dead in the eyes.

"Why does she seem so eerily familiar?" Negi questioned no one in particular as he turned to face the window, allowing him to view his faint reflection. When he looked at Ako now, he felt as though he was staring at somebody that wasn't exactly another person but rather a different side of her that he had met before. The question that plagued him was where he met this other side and under what circumstances and more importantly, what was it doing taking her place? The magi wasn't completely oblivious to the changes in his student's behavior. He started to see them when they first entered the amusement area of the festival grounds. The way she looked at him held a mischievous quality that he never detected within her crimson eyes before and the way she held his hand or clung to his arm conveyed a message of possessiveness that he would expect from someone like his master. It just wasn't the shy Ako Izumi that he knew.

_What's going on here? Ever since Chao introduced me to that weird woman everything has been going completely crazy..._ Negi stopped himself for a moment to consider his thoughts. That wasn't exactly all true. _No...ever since master turned me, I've been having so many weird experiences with other people. Chao has been treating me differently, Mana has been nicer to me...everyone has been acting differently towards me. In fact Ayaka-san has been a bit more affectionate with me than she usually is. _

Negi's eyes narrowed somewhat when a certain blonde magistress came to mind. He couldn't possibly forget about Takane's gradual change in behavior towards him over the time they had known each other. During the first few days they had known each other she had been very suspicious of him, almost as if she saw him as some kind of threat to her. She would get tense around him and her attitude towards him was not unlike that of an officer speaking to a shady character walking the streets. That gradually changed; however, as the days passed and eventually he started to see a noticeable difference in the way she treated him. She would smile at him and she had become much more physical with him even if it had been the simplest forms of contact such as holding hands or grabbing him by the arm. She also had a habit of physically bumping into him all the time, which almost always ended up with him being in an awkward position.

_Then there's the fact that I bit her...even though she hasn't shown any actual signs of turning...save for her crazy power boost during the tournament that crept up from out of nowhere. _The magi could still recall the way she tossed him around the ring like a rag doll. Such images weren't going to simply melt away from his mind so quickly though he was trying his best to do so in hopes that he could suppress the thought of his father's face. _Wait, I can't allow my mind to stray from the situation at hand. I'm supposed to be trying to figure out Ako, not Takane! _He looked back at the corner that had the "_Restroom_" neon sign posted against it to see if Ako had come out but it appeared that the young woman was having some trouble in there.

"Did the food have a bad effect on her stomach?" Negi wondered aloud before turning back to his thoughts. At least this would give him more time to understand just what he was dealing with. _Ok...she's possessive, amorous and the look in her eyes feels a bit off. Even though this is the first time I've seen her this way it still feels familiar somehow. Why am I contradicting mysel- _Negi's eyes suddenly grew wide with a sense of realization. Something had finally clicked in the back of his mind and it sure was not pleasant. _Wait a second! Th-that smirk! I've seen it on Ako's face before!_

_Negi saw Ako donning a maid uniform, smirking at him like some mischievous little demon..._

"Oh my gawd...it's just like the time I was dueling Evangeline." Negi mumbled in shock. "But why is she acting this way? It doesn't make any sense..."

**_-----------------------------------------------------_**

_"Oh, they're still half vampires." Evangeline said with a grin. "That side of them will only awaken if I call upon them. Until then, their vampirism is sealed away like a sickness that won't show symptoms until a virus invades the body." Evangeline winked at him mischievously and quipped, "Got it?"_

**_-----------------------------------------------------_**

"...That still doesn't explain why she's acting this way." Negi stared through his reflection upon the window distantly until his mind started to play tricks with him making Evangeline appear to be standing behind him in her older form with a smirk on her face that he usually associated with death. _Unless..._ His mind cranked it's illusionary image further as the Evangeline standing behind his reflection placed her arms around him before merging with him. _Unless...I somehow managed to awaken her vampiric side with my own latent abilities. Is it possible?_

Negi's thoughts were distrupted when he suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around his waist from behind. The way they snaked against him before finally clasping their hands together to press their self against his back sent violent shivers down his spine that rattled him to no end. "Ako?" Negi said her name in a questioning tone as he tried to settle his self, which was quite a task in itself now that he knew she had a set of lethal fangs hidden behind her lips. "Is that you?" It was either her or that flirtatious waitress from earlier trying to put the moves on him again.

"Yes." Ako answered him. "Who else did you think it would be, Nagi?" The way she asked her question seemed as though she was hinting to someone else. Perhaps she had the same thoughts in mind. "That friendly waitress maybe?"

"I would hope not." Negi replied wisely. "That would be terrible."

"Wouldn't it be?" Ako asked, grinning against his back in a chilling fashion that would have possibly matched Mana. Her smirk gradually left her, however, when she felt Negi grip both her hands firmly and pull them apart to release her hold on him. "Hmm?" She hummed when Negi turned to face her.

"What would you like to do next?" He asked her, his eyes searching for an answer within her crimson orbs. The way he looked at her managed to unsettle her somewhat. It looked a little suspicious. "We have some more time before the concert."

"I'm...uh..." Ako started to feel as if Negi was looking right into her. She needed to answer quickly before he would be able to find what he was looking for. "Why don't we just walk for a bit? I don't feel like getting on any rides after eating, you know?"_The way he's looking at me now is as if he suspects something...but that couldn't possibly be it, right?_

**_HEY! Why can't I move my own body?! _**The voice of the true Ako cried out from deep within. **_Let me go now!_**

_Calm yourself, girl. What I do is what's best for the both of us..._

**_But that waitress! You could have killed her!_**

_But I didn't, did I? Besides, don't act as if you didn't enjoy it._

**_What?! What type of person do you think I am?!_**

_Denial will get you nowhere. I would not have been able to take control like this if our thoughts weren't one and the same. You wanted to see her punished, and even now you want Nagi for yourself...will you still deny it?_

**_...Nagi..._**

_Just relax. I have everything under control... _Ako turned her attention back to Negi when he nodded at her suggestion and said, "Alright then. Lets go." He went to get the door for her, opening it so she could pass through and she did just that before grabbing a hold of his hand when he let go of the door and walked beside her. Negi kept himself from flinching when he felt her grip his hand, but now that he was aware he simply couldn't keep his thoughts from dreading the contact between them. If this wasn't exactly Ako whom was holding his hand then where was she?

**_-----------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"They're on the move again people!" Chachazero alerted everyone who had gone into a bored daze after Ako made her disappearance to deal with the waitress earlier. Even Chachamaru lost interest in the scene when the rocker's offending presence made a disappearance. As long as Ako wasn't anywhere near Negi she was fine, but by taking a look to where her smaller counterpart was pointing she could see that Ako had already latched on to him again. Oh, how she wished that she was in her place right now but now was not the time to be dwelling in leisure fantasies.

"We must move on." Chachamaru agreed, her eyes swiveling over to Chisame and Kotaro. When Kotaro regarded her blankly the gynoid clenched her left hand into a fist and said, "Now please..." The hint of irritation in her voice spoke volumes. Kotaro didn't even want to know about her getting angry. He was having enough trouble with the sadistic puppet already and he didn't want to add on to that with a murderous cyber woman.

"Alright..." Kotaro yawned as he pushed off from his leaning post against the wall.

"Let's get moving." Chisame nodded, brushing off the back of her outfit.

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"This is beginning to suck." Mei grumbled from beside Takane as the two continued their confession scouting. At this point the red head was willing to pick repeating the entire tournament all over again as opposed to this boring segment of her life that she was currently sharing with her superior who even now disturbed her. Back at the amusement area she could have sworn that Takane was going to lunge at her, but at the last moment she seemed to stop herself as though she was momentarily possessed by another split personality. As usual said young woman didn't have any sort of response to Mei's comment nor did she show any signs of hearing it. Her attention seemed to be elsewhere.

"Onesan..."Mei's eyes fell at the sight of the blonde magistress. This was seriously beginning to scare her. Ever since Takane came to Mahora campus she had been acting unusual. The most noticeable turning point, however, was when she left the infirmary after the engagement that took place on the balcony between her and the possessed young teacher. Negi didn't seem like the type to do something wrong, but Mei kept on wondering whether he had done something to her superior when they shared that kiss that unforgettable evening. _Of course...Negi wasn't even sure what was going on at that point so whatever happened couldn't have really been his fault..._

"Onesan." Mei called to Takane in a loud voice so as to get her attention since the normal speaking level had become somewhat dead to her ears. When she saw Takane turn to her she let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't completely lost her yet. "Aren't you bored with this scouting duty?" The young magistress asked in an attempt to make casual conversation. She wasn't about to take this unnerving gap in communication any longer.

"Boredom shouldn't pose as anything significant to us Mei." Takane answered her in her usual business like tone. It did well to put her underling at ease to hear her speak so naturally. It allowed Mei to know that she still retained a sense of self. "When we are given a duty, business must always come before pleasure." Takane's eyes took on a stern look as she regarded her underling. "I'm quite sure that you understand that."

"Yes onesan." Mei groaned playfully.

"Besides, we already had our break from scouting duty when we participated in the tournament."

"You called that a break?" Mei's jaw almost hung open at Takane's words. She didn't see fighting against others as something that could be called a break. Their pulse pounding engagement with the horde of robots underground did nothing to change her opinion of that either. She wouldn't have even thought about entering the tournament if it wasn't for Takane anyway. Every time the words, _"It's for the sake of duty, Mei!", _found their way out of her superior's mouth they ended up running into trouble that could have been totally avoided. "I wouldn't call anything that transpired in that tournament a _break_!"

"Regardless of what had taken place it still took us off from scouting duty." Takane retorted, never skipping a beat with her words. Whenever Takane got into anything regarding what _she_ felt was right, she ended up on top regardless of any good argument that got thrown her way. It was just her philosophy on things and there was nothing that could make her budge from it. Well, nothing with the exception of a certain young wizard who had the power to turn her world upside down if he wanted to, and even if Takane denied it that was all that had been happening to her life ever since she crossed paths with Negi. From her pursuit of him when she caught him in adult form at the shrine, to her lunch with him at Chao's restaurant, every time it involved him the situation was never within her hands. Her bizarre showdown with him in the tournament was no different and the more she thought about it, the more it served to vex and irritate her. At the same time, however, there was some unexplainable feeling within her that told her that she inwardly enjoyed every bit of it. Every experience that she had with Negi always threw a wrench in her plans and yet the outcome was always so deliciously unexpected. They were experiences that she could look back on and smile at.

"I still don't agree with it." Mei said, crossing her arms.

"And that is your opinion." Takane countered. "It should not affect your job."

"What if I just quit then?" Mei asked, taking Takane off guard.

"Excuse me?" Takane's eyes widened slightly. "Why would you say something so rash?"

"It's just so boring, and with all of the fun attractions that are happening around us I feel so left out." Mei argued. "Look at Negi-kun." Mei brought up the young magi causing a shift in Takane's expression. "He still manages to have some fun on the side."

"Negi is irresponsible!" Takane snapped at Mei. "That is the reason he always finds his self in trouble afterwards."

"You're usually causing him the trouble!" Mei shot back in the young magi's defense.

"W-what?!" Takane was taken aback by her underling's words. "How could you say that?!"

"All you ever do when you see him is get on his case or chase him like some mad woman!"

"That is not true!"

"Not true?!" Mei's eyes flared as she placed her hand upon her chest. "I'm always the one getting dragged along in your crazy attacks on him. How are you going to tell me that it's not true?!"

"Mei-"

"Sometimes I wonder if your getting some kind of guilty pleasure out of it!"

"Liste-"

"You think I haven't noticed those smirks on your face whenever you see him?" Mei asked, standing up to Takane face-to-face. "What is your deal, onesan? Why don't you just admit it already?"

"Admit what?!" Takane cried out. At this point many of the students that were walking by did their best not to stop and stare at the argument that had suddenly broken out between the two.

"That you're obsessed with him!" Mei yelled back. "All that you say about him out in the open isn't what you truly feel and you know it! There must be some reason that you're always following him. There has got to be some explanation for why you're always trying to find a way to capture his attention. You went to that tea ceremony to do more than comfort him. You invited him out to dinner before because there was more to it than some simple apology!" Mei narrowed her eyes at Takane fiercely. "You only invited me so that he would be at peace of mind coming with you, otherwise you would have just left me at the dorm we're staying at!"

"What has gotten into you?!"

"What do you really think of Negi, onesan?" Mei gripped Takane by both of her arms and looked deep into her eyes. "What is it that you feel? Please tell me because I can't stay silent about it any longer. It's really starting to kill me!"

"You want to know?" Takane asked Mei with a straight face. "Very well, I'll tell you how I feel about that crazy boy! I admire him, Mei, not simply because of his relation to the great _Thousand Master _as others only see in him, but because of what makes _him_ who _he_ is!" Takane matched Mei's intense gaze as she went on, "He's just unlike anyone I've ever met before, Mei! He stood up before Gandolfini and demanded that Lingshen be released despite all of the cases that were against her. He possesses strength and wisdom beyond his years that quite frankly scares me to the point that I truly forget how young he is, and most of all the care that he shows for others simply baffles me! Others may not see the changes _within Dark _Evangel, but I do Mei, and I know that it's all because she has that wondrous boy by her side. I've tried so many times to make him realize how terrible of a person she is and yet he looks past it all and sees something beautiful that no one else has the courage to look for!" Takane grabbed Mei by the sides of her face with trembling hands and looked so deeply within her eyes that it practically paralyzed that poor girl. Her voice was cracked and soft as she spoke her next words. "That is what I see Mei, and the one thing that strikes me down is that he...doesn't...see...me." Takane emphasized her last three words hauntingly.

"N-Negi..." Mei said breathlessly as her eyes stared out towards something beyond Takane. At first the blond magistress wasn't sure what Mei meant by her utterance of the young magi's name, but slowly she followed the look in Mei's eyes and turned to see a sight that made her blood run completely cold. It was as though the temperature around her had suddenly dropped at an astounding level. _Negi? _Takane's upper lip trembled as the thought of him passed through her mind. There in the midst of the crowd of students she saw Negi walking in his older form with a young woman clutching his arm rather possessively. She was sure that she'd seen her somewhere before but even she could sense that there was something different about her. The last time she met the young woman she looked as though she was on the verge of passing out within Negi's presence and yet now there was an aura of confidence surrounding her as she walked with him that made Takane feel a bit helpless, she just wasn't sure why.

_Ugh...what is this feeling that weighs me now? _Takane questioned as her entire body went stiff at the sight of Ako. An odd sensation gradually began to build up within her canines and the muscles in her body pulsated oddly._ What is is about this girl that-_

_Takane's eyes went wide with surprise when Ako unexpectedly turned her head to meet her eyes with a piercing gaze. The students that made up the crowd around Negi and Ako disappeared and time slowed down for both young women as they stared into each other's eyes. It was a staring match that sent violent shivers down her spine, and then Ako finally spoke-_

**_"I see you looking on with envious eyes dear sister." _**_Ako offered Takane a chilling smile._

**_"Sister? What do you mean?"_**

**_"Well then, look on sister, and look well because you will only see and never feel." _**_Ako sneered before going on, **"You will never feel what he can offer us."**_ With that message the spell that had taken control over Takane shattered and time was restored along with her sight of the crowd. Ako was looking forward as though she had never paid the blond magistress any mind and Negi walked off with her until they could no longer be seen. The odd feeling within Takane suddenly burned like a living flame and her senses started running wild. Mei saw the disturbance within her superior and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Onesan, are you alright?!" Mei asked only to have her hand jerked away by Takane.

"D-don't touch me." Takane told her in a near growl. She began to stagger away from Mei, yelling, "Just leave me alone!"

"But Takane-"

"Don't follow me!" With that Takane took off into a run without warning, leaving Mei behind. She pushed through the crowd of students causing a commotion and continued her run with seemingly no definite objective in mind except to put some distance between her and the people around her. Her legs pumped on relentlessly at a speed she didn't even know she was capable of until she made into the shade of the back of some building. It was then that she leaned against the wall and slumped down into a sitting position, looking up at the tree branches hanging above her with unfocused eyes. Her jaw locked and her head fell to the side as her hands dug into the ground viciously. She was helpless to the violent sensation that had taken her body without warning, and she could feel her mind slowly slipping away into the dark void as well. At first she tried with all her might not to allow herself to be consumed, but she gradually found herself accepting it and before she knew it consciousness had escaped her like a sweet dream.

_Takane awoke to find herself in complete darkness. She was completely naked yet there was a warmth radiating from all around her and it comforted her. It made her feel safe and secure, however, the appearance of a certain individual caused all of that to escape her just as quickly as it had enveloped her. A beautiful woman stood before her donning a cloak that seemed to melt into the darkness that surrounded her but her golden mane of hair glowed like an aura of light around her pale face. Her emerald green eyes stayed upon Takane, unmoving with a coldness that made her feel unwelcome._

**_"Dark Evangel..."_** Takane spoke the name of the woman before her with thick venom. She tried her best to match Evangeline's gaze with one as equally cold but the dark mistress proved to be intimidating. Takane simply couldn't work up the nerve to look her in the eye long enough. **_"Why are you here?!"_**

_Evangeline remained silent..._

**_"Aren't you going to at least insult me?!" _**Takane yelled. **_"Why do you stay silent?!"_**

_Takane flinched when Evangeline finally reacted throwing her cloak to the side and pointing to her with one hand. The darkness beneath Takane rippled like water and a hand rose out before her, pressing it's palm against the dark surface as though whatever was beneath her was trying to pull itself up._

**_"What is this?!" _**Takane crawled back from it as another hand rose up from the darkness and pressed itself against the dark surface as well. Before long a crown of blonde hair rose from the darkness followed by a familiar face that made Takane's eyes go wide with horror. **_"I-It's me..." _**Her voice left her as the mirror image of herself finally managed to pull itself free of the depths which held her. She remained hunched over with her head hanging for a moment before lifting it up to look at Takane with two twinkling red eyes. Their eye remained locked until the Takane that emerged from the darkness started crawling towards her with a look of genuine curiosity plastered over her face.

**_"Ah..." _**Takane whimpered in fear when her double was within arm's reach. She didn't stop there, however, violating Takane's personal space as she crawled between her legs and pinned her hands at both her sides, her face lowering towards Takane's until they were a mere two inches apart from each other. It was a bizarre experience to be looked down upon by yourself as you lay helplessly upon the ground, and the fact that she felt herself breathing over her made the experience all the more chilling.

**_"What do you want?" _**Takane's words came out quivering. She didn't like this closeness that she was sharing with her double and the way she breathed in and out in such a predatory fashion made Takane feel that she would feast on her at any moment. Her adrenaline started to pump when the look of curiosity on the other Takane's face shifted to something simply sinister. She grinned down at the blonde magistress with lethal fangs bearing fearsomely and finally spoke.

**_"Why do you tremble so?" _**Her words came out in a soft and sultry voice as she rested her forehead against Takane's as well as other parts of her body. **_"Do you fear yourself so much that you tremble in fear at the very sight of me?"_**

**_"You're an illusion." _**Takane replied, her chest rising and falling quickly against her double's out of growing fear. Her eyes began darting in every direction for some route of escape but all she saw was darkness. **_"Y-you're just an illusion created by her!"_**

**_"Who?"_** The sinister woman asked, taking a moment to look over her shoulder. Takane did the same to find no one there. That only meant that she was alone with this doppelganger, whatever it was. There was no one to control this demon. **_"I see no one there." _**She turned her attention back to Takane with a smirk and asked, **_"Do you?"_**

**_"Just tell me what you want!"_**

**_"I want what you want." _**She replied.

**_"I would like you to get off of me!"_**Takane leaned her head back with a blush when her dark twin closed in on her again. **_"S-stop that…please…"_**

**_"I'm afraid you don't understand. I am the self that you are afraid to embrace. I am the self which understands you most. I know what makes you smile, what makes you cry…" _**She offered Takane a libidinous smirk. **_"And of course, I know that which makes you do both at the same time."_**

**_"You still haven't answered my question."_**Takane spoke boldly, doing her best to keep calm under the other's intense gaze. **_"What do you want?"_**

**_"That is my question to you." _**The sinister magistress finally got off of Takane and put some distance between them. **_"Although the answer to that question has been clear to you ever since your first week at Mahora campus…"_**

**_"What do you mean?" _**Takane blushed furiously.

**_"Even now you blush at my words because you know whom I speak of." _**The dark young woman narrowed her eyes, grinning. **_"Now tell me…will you pass up the chance to claim what you want?"_**

* * *

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_Turning away from that identity crisis… _**

**_---------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Two vanilla ice creams please." Negi told the young woman behind the counter while Ako stood beside him clutching his arm. He glanced at her face for a moment to see a look that could kill on sight. It was no wonder that the young woman couldn't keep eye contact with him as he made their order. The deceptively quiet rocker wouldn't stop glaring at her. _I'm going to have to face this somehow…but the question is, how do I go about this? _

"A-Alright." The young woman replied, turning away to get their treats ready for them. While she had her back to them Negi looked to Ako and whispered, "Would you stop looking at her like that?"

"What do you mean?" Ako asked innocently despite the grin on her face that said otherwise. She attempted to nuzzle his arm, but Negi pulled away from her. "Hey…" She furrowed her brows in confusion. "What's wrong, Nagi?"

"You're acting weird today."

"I am not." Ako said with a pout before she reclaimed his arm. "You're the one who's acting weird."

_This definitely isn't getting me anywhere. _Negi thought as he looked into his dark date's crimson eyes. _She isn't just going to come out with it and then I have to take into consideration-_ Negi's eyes briefly fell upon her pouting lips. _–what she might do if she knows that I'm aware of her change. Will she attack me or will she attempt to seduce me? _The thought of Ako attempting something so scandalous was something he just couldn't envision and yet she almost managed to capture his lips earlier.

"Here you are." The girl at the counter called their attention. "That will be five bucks total sir."

"Alright." Negi nodded before he pulled out the money to hand it over to her. He saw Ako take the ice cream cone and take a long slow lick that "accidentally" got some of the frosty treat all over her lips. The girl behind the counter rolled her eyes while Negi did his best to keep from looking at his student. This just started to get-

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"-Creepier and creepier, I tell ya'." Kotaro finished his sentence, shaking his head at the scene that was unfolding at the ice cream stand. He didn't stay long with Negi and the others but he was sure that there was something wrong with this picture. "I wouldn't be surprised if she just tackled him to the ground right there."

"If that squirt could bring this sort of reaction out of "_her"_ then he must be doing something incredible." Chisame said in awe before mouthing some words to herself as she squinted her eyes. Kotaro couldn't exactly make them out but he was sure it had to do something with his friend.

"Envious?" The dog demon asked.

"No!" Chisame blurted out quickly. "What would make you think that?!"

"Oh, nothing." Kotaro grinned before turning to Chachamaru and Chachazero. "Um…are you girls alright?"

"I assure you that I am quite alright." Chachamaru answered him, eyeing a small blade in her hand. "However, if Ms. Izumi decides to go any further with this…"

"She is so mine." Chachazero finished her counterpart's thoughts in her own words. "Of course we'll have to make it look like an accident." If Chachazero was capable of facial expressions she would have looked to Kotaro with a lopsided grin. "We wouldn't want, Master Negi to witness the death of one of his students."

"You all need help."

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Mmm." Ako moaned after taking another lick of her ice cream. "This tastes so much better than the ones you get at the store. I wonder how she made it."

"I'm sure she wouldn't be willing to share such information if that's the case." Negi replied, trying to humor her.

"So what's next?" Ako asked.

"I'm not sure yet." Negi replied, looking around at the attractions. They already went to all of the exciting ones that piqued their interest so everything else didn't really catch their eyes. Negi, however, spotted two muscle bound men standing in front of an entry way to a back stage. They were harassing every couple that passed them trying to get them to participate in whatever attraction they were holding. "We should move to the side, Ako." Negi told her before having them gradually move to the right.

"Why? What's the matter?"

"Well-"

"HEY!" A shout from one of the men cut Negi off before he could give his date an explanation. They both whipped their heads in the direction of the voice's source to find both men approaching them quickly. "HEY YOU TWO! WE'RE HOLDING A MODELING CONTEST!" The older of the two said in a booming voice that made Negi and Ako back away, but both men were persistent.

"WHY DON'T YOU JOIN, HUH?" The younger brother asked.

"We're fine." Negi turned down their offer.

"OH, COME ON!"

"YEAH! DON'T BE SUCH A SPOILED SPORT!"

"I'm serious!" Negi protested before feeling Ako get snatched away from his arm. "Hey, let her go-oh!" He yelped when the older brother hefted him over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?!" Ako cried out as she kicked and flailed her arms. "Are you guys retarded or something?!"

"LET'S GO BROTHER!"

"I HEAR YOU BIG BRO!"

"HO, HO!"

"HO, HO INDEED!"

"I don't get it…" Negi grumbled in frustration.

**_"Welcome to the Mahora Best Couple Contest!" _**The host of the contest greeted the audience with a smile that could only speak the word _'professional'_. She was a young woman adorned in a black mini dress and she had on puppy ears and a tail to add to the effect. **_"The top three couples will win…" _**She paused for her assistant, whom was a little girl dressed similarly with the difference being the length in their dresses to come out with the prizes on a black pillow. **_"…A wonderful pair of matching bracelets!" _**

_"KAWAII!" All the girls in the audience screamed before promptly punching all of their spineless boyfriends for not participating with them. _

_"Gomenasai!" The young men apologized, rubbing their sore arms. _

**_-------------------------------------------------------------_**

_Ka-chik…. _

_"And my job never ends." _Mana mumbled to herself as she adjusted the scope on her sniper rifle. She backed away from it for a moment to stretch her muscles and placed her left hand on her right shoulder before tilting her head to the side with a faint crack. _"I'm beginning to hate all of these couple contests. There's always some bold contestant that wants to choose this opportunity to confess their feelings." _

The lovely marksmen held the announcer within her sights and licked her lips before imitating the sound of a gunshot. If it wasn't against her contract she would have shot that young woman down before she could utter another word. She was the reason her job was so damn rigorous.

_"I wonder what sensei is doing…" _

**_---------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Howdy everyone!" A girl with cat ears and a black mini dress greeted Negi and the other participants. Her assistant who happened to be the same girl who assisted the announcer ran to the side of the dresser to pull back the curtain and reveal all of the outfits, which varied from such themes as marriage to simply scandalous subjects that wouldn't normally be worn in public.

_Why don't I feel comfortable right now? _Negi thought with a sweat drop as he felt Ako squeeze his hand in excitement. He could almost hear the gears in the dark young woman's head cranking.

_Oh the possibilities! _Ako thought to herself with a smirk.

**_HEY! Don't do anything crazy! _**

_You again? What's the issue now? _

**_You're going to do something naughty! I know you are! _**

_And what is your qualm? _

**_You're making Nagi-chan very uncomfortable, and- and- _**

_You don't want him to see your scar…is that right? _

**_Don't wear anything revealing! _**The true Ako watched her view swivel over to a red lace outfit that accentuated the curves of the body as well as offered a generous view of cleavage. **_N-Not that either! L-let me take over! NOW, NOW, NOW,NOW, NOW! _**

_I'm not listening… _

**_AARRRRGH! _**

"All participants can choose from a variety of outfits on the rack!" The instructor informed them, doing a wave over the clothes. "Your popularity with the audience on-stage will determine your points!"

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Negi tried to reason with Ako.

"Don't be silly!" Ako told him. "We'll be the best couple on that stage guaranteed!" She gave him the puppy eyes tactic. "We are a couple…right?"

"…Oh dear…" Negi sighed woefully. "Alright then, but I'm picking the theme."

"Aww, c'mon!"

"You'll pick next round okay?" Negi tried to persuade her.

"…Alright." Ako huffed.

"Hey, don't worry. You'll get your chance." Negi told her with a smile that made the vampiress blush in response. "Look, as long as we're here we might as well shoot for the top okay?"

"Okay." Ako grinned at him. _So charming… _

**_HEY! _**

_Not listening… _

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"Here they come." _Mana said to no one in particular as she watched the contestants line up on stage, however, the appearance of a certain wizard made her do a double take with the scope. _"Wait a sec. What is sensei doing participating? He knows that this is a danger zone, doesn't he?" _She swiveled the scope over to Ako and her eyes narrowed imperceptibly. The two were dressed in the marriage theme so that meant that the rocker was dressed as a bride and Negi was dressed as the groom in a white tuxedo. While she had to admit that her teacher was rather strapping in his attire, the sight of Ako dressed as a bride at his side irked her.

_"Ms. Izumi is his date? How did this happen?" _The marksman questioned with a light sneer. She noticed the odd look gracing her face and something clicked. _"Something isn't right here." _

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"Next up-" _**The announcer gestured to Negi and Ako as they stood forward before the audience in their marriage outfits. Almost immediately the crowd began cheering their hearts out before the announcer could even say their names. **_"- Negi Springfield and Ako Izumi! Now aren't they the best looking couple yet?!" _**

_The audience cheered in response… _

Negi stood proudly before the audience in his white tux with Ako standing by his side as the audience went wild. This was a good choice for looks and moral anyway. He knew that Ako would have something questionable in mind for them being that she was still possessed by the darkness within her so he had to go with something that she couldn't jeopardize. _Now if I can keep dodging her advances I may get through this without any trouble. The only thing I need to find out now is how to free her from this… _

_Oh Nagi. _Ako thought to herself as she eyes Negi from her peripheral,_You must believe that you've found a way to restrict my actions but you haven't at all. In fact you may have given me an opening for something I've been wanting for a while. _

**_What are you planning now?! _**

_Watch and learn. _Dark Ako mentally told her true self. _Why don't we get in some extra points with the audience? _She turned to face Negi and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, catching him off guard.

"Huh?" Negi blinked in panic. _What's this? _

**_------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Oh man, is she really going to kiss Negi?!" Kotaro freaked out when he saw the young woman make her move on his friend.

"It looks like it." Chisame said grimly. Since the time they entered the contest she had been getting an ominous feeling about it. How would her kid teacher be able to handle something as intimate as this? He got by safely with the amusement area, and he almost went into the red zone at the restaurant. If that waitress had not gotten in the way, Ako might have been able to succeed with her plan, but now that they were entered in a contest for the best couple she might have cornered Negi this time. "Oh gawd, that idiot is just going to stand there and take it isn't he?"

"Master Negi! Resist, resist I say!" Chahazero cried out, flailing her tiny arms wildly.

"W-we must intervene somehow." Chachamaru reasoned. "We still have time!"

"But how?!" Kotaro cried out.

"Think, think!" Chisame yelled.

* * *

_"Oh, is that the game you'll play, Ms. Izumi?" _Mana asked with a purr of delight as she kept the back of Ako's head within her sights. Negi was still looking back at the dark young woman dumbly so she may have had a chance to stop the kiss before it could happen. _"Go ahead, lean in for the kiss. Give me an excuse to put you out cold, I'm begging you." _

_Sensei already has too many burdens on his shoulders for someone like you to just pile another one. _Mana thought with a frown. _Lingshen made sure of that… _

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"How romantic!" _**The announcer squealed at the scene unfolding upon the stage as Ako and Negi stared into each other's eyes. The other contestants could only gape in horror as their opponents got in the process to do something they never worked up the guts to do. **_"Will they really share a kiss before the entire audience?! It's been attempted many times before only to be stopped short when the tension build was too much to take for one of the partners, but they just may pick up where others left off!" _**

_No you don't. _Negi's mind raced quickly as he stopped the kiss by catching Ako off guard with an idea of his own. He swept the girl off her feet and held her in his arms, bridal style for all to see. While it may not have been the kiss that everyone was holding their breaths for it still did a good job of bringing out a good reaction from the audience. _Whew, good thinking. We almost fell into the danger zone again. _

_H-he cheated! _Ako inwardly fumed at his unexpected intervention within her plans. _He actually resisted me! Why would he do that for?! _

**_Because Nagi-chan is a good guy! _**

_Oh shut it will you? _Dark Ako snapped.

**_------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Whew! The kid knows what he's doing." Chisame said with a sigh of relief. While he may have taken the form of Ako's dream boy it still wasn't alright to let her kiss him the way she had in mind. The last thing they all needed was for the girl to fall madly in love with him and try to make their _"relationship"_ official. That would be tragic. "Although I have to admit that he knows how to do it with style. It looks as though it was planned the entire time."

"That's gonna score some points with the audience." Kotaro commented. "That girl is getting a bit too aggressive for comfort though. If this trend keeps up she might just confess to him."

"That would spell trouble for Master Negi!" Chachazero almost went ballistic.

"With the World Tree active it would be unadvised and dangerous." said Chachamaru. "If she shows signs of confession it would be in our best interest to formulate some form of intervention."

"Looks guys!" Chisame turned on the rest of the group with a look of murder. "Let's not jinx it, alright?!"

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"Whoa! He's carrying her like a modern day princess in a fairy tale!"_** The lovely announcer exclaimed dreamily at the sight of Negi holding the young rocker. Her words caused Ako to blush outwardly, and inwardly in a manner of speaking. Although she didn't get the kiss she had been pursuing since the restaurant, this unexpected compromise had her feeling pleasant shiver along her skin. It was almost as though Negi had more power over her than she was struggling to gain over him. While she laid dormant within her timid counterpart she was under the impression that this _"Nagi"_was a mere common man in all likeness of the word: hungry, optimistic, and full of lust. Well, at least that is what she felt was the common mentality of a male, however, Nagi was something else entirely. He reminded her of someone she once met in the past. It was a time when she was in complete dominance over Ako's soul. (Ahem...vol. 3..hint, hint...)

_Now I recall who it was. Negi Springfield, if I recall clearly. _The vampiress was able to find fond memories of the young magi within the depths of Ako's mind. The waitress made a comparison between them earlier in the restaurant if she was not mistaken. In fact, didn't he claim to be the boy's cousin? Dark Ako looked to the young man holding her. She looked into his eyes, still blushing from his firm hold on her and turned away quickly. She couldn't believe that she was the one falling for him instead of the other way around. He was supposed to be the one blushing at the very sight of her so what exactly was going on here?! She felt him set her back down on her feet and looked into the distance as she fell into deep thought. Regardless of the normalcy that he was displaying as his front there was something emanating from him that spoke the complete opposite. _Perhaps it could be due to his relation to the young Springfield?_

"Ako?" Negi placed a hand upon her shoulder when she made no signs of movement after the announcer declared that the first round was over. She seemed to be be in another place within her mind. "Ako, we need to go backstage again."

"Um, I mean, what?" Ako snapped out of her daze.

"I said, we need to leave the stage." Negi repeated himself.

"Oh." Was all Ako could come up with before following her date backstage. _No, no. His dark aura couldn't possibly be from the young wizard. It feels similar to my own aura...if not even more corrupted. His aura is like that of-_

_Ako got an image of Evangeline looking down at her like some elegant queen of darkness..._

_His aura is like her's..._ There was a hint of malice within her thoughts but nothing more. She didn't even bother to speak Evangeline's names almost as though the very words were like pins upon her tongue. _But why?_ She stole a glance at Negi as she walked beside him towards the changing room. There was nothing about him that reminded her of the dark mistress besides his aura. So now came the question: "What was his connection to her?"

_Hmm...perhaps he could be the reason for my awakening as well._ Ako thought with a growing smirk. _I suddenly have a strong desire to explore more than just Nagi's physical capabilities. I must have him for myself! He is the calling I've been feeling since I made contact with my weak self, but perhaps...I should take a different approach._

"Nagi." Ako called to Negi in a soft voice.

"Yes?" Negi raised an eyebrow at the change within her. Her voice lacked the mischievous quality it once held before and was replaced with something a little more along the lines of _"Ako Izumi" _than it did before. While it was a welcoming change, it also made him rather apprehensious. While the young magi had his times at being naive, now was not one of them.

"Do you like me?" She asked.

"Of course I like you." Negi told her. "What seems to be bothering you?"

"…Nothing." Ako lied.

"Come on you two!" The dresser called to the both of them from the doorway to the dressing room as she beckoned them quickly. "If you two keep moving this slow then you'll be left behind by the other contestants!"

"Alright, we're coming!" Negi replied, grabbing Ako's hand much to her growing embarrassment. They both walked quickly into the dressing room and the dresser closed the door behind them. There they were greeted by another set of clothes that set off alarms within the rocker.

**_S-swim suits?! Oh my gawd, oh my gawd! We can't do this! _**The inner Ako cried out from within in rising panic, which was an incredible feat in itself since her dark alter ego did her best to seal her away so she wouldn't interfere.

_How did you-my, you're very persistent aren't you?!_

**_This is my body! You can't just lock me in and not expect me to resist!_**

_Calm do-_

**_No! You can't be trusted anymore! As soon as you get Nagi to fall in love with you you'll try to take him for yourself!_**

_What do you mean?! We are the same perso-_

**_You know exactly what I mean! Now-_** Negi suddenly felt Ako grip his hand very tightly. -**_Let me- _**Ako's eyes narrowed as though she was in pain. -**_Go!_** She fell against Negi for a moment and sighed.

"Ako?" Negi looked to his date in worry. "What's going on?"

"Nagi?" Ako opened her eyes and looked at him innocently. The look within her red eyes looked to him as though it was the first time she had ever laid eyes on him. "I actually broke through." She whispered to herself.

"What was that?"

"Nagi, th-these swim suits", Ako's eyes trembled at the sight of all the selections that were on display for her to wear. The skimpy two piece that the young dresser had in her hand didn't do much to put her mind at peace either, "I can't go through with this!" _This isn't good. If I put on something like that then everyone will see my scar. _Her eyes swiveled back to Negi fearfully as she imagined the look of horror that would appear on his face at the sight of her ugly scar. _He'll see it too! What will he think of me then?_

"Come here, come here!" The dresser grabbed Ako by the arm much to her building horror and pulled her away from Negi. "You two have a shot at winning, I just know it! This skimpy little number should earn you points all around!"

"Um, wait!"

"Huh?" The dresser blinked before looking between her and Negi. She grinned and said, "Oh come on, he's your boyfriend. There's nothing to be worried about!" The woman slipped off the dress straps on Ako's shoulders and the rocker slammed her eyes shut tightly for Negi's inevitable gasp of horror, however, she felt a heavy jacket fall upon her shoulders instead.

"That's alright." She heard Negi tell the dresser. She opened her eyes hesitantly and found the young man by her side with the dresser standing beside him, a startled look upon her face. Negi offered Ako a warm smile before turning back to the dresser, the smile never leaving his face. "Do you have anything cute for her to wear? We don't want to show too much skin to the audience, but we'd still like to earn some points regardless."

"Um…sure." The dresser replied with a look of disappointment. "But…it probably won't get as much of a response as this swim suit would." She held out the skimpy swimsuit dangling from her hands.

"As I said before…" Negi's eyes looked into hers deeply. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he'd seen a few vampire movies in the past that had shown them getting their way by looking into the eyes of a person. "…it's alright."

"O-okay." She blushed deeply. "As you wish, sir."

**_I knew it! _**Dark Ako cried out triumphantly.

_Shut up! _Ako mentally snapped at her alter ego.

"Hmm." The dresser stroked her chin for a moment before her eyes lit up with excitement. "I have just the outfits for you guys, and it'll be sure to win points with the guys and girls out there!" She grinned mischievously as her eyes stopped upon Ako making the girl uncomfortable. "The suit I have planned for you won't be too revealing, but it should do well to get those dirty minds out there cranking, and-" She looked to Negi devilishly, "-you…oh, I've got something for you to wear and I'm sure it'll get those guilty thoughts just boiling within those girls out there."

"…Okay…" Negi blinked at the dresser's sudden change in attitude.

"Let's get to it then, shall we?!"

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"When are they going to come out again?" Chisame growled with impatience as she rested her chin in both hands. She was sitting upon Kotaro's shoulders with her elbows propped up on his head causing him a great deal of irritation. The only reason he didn't say anything was due to the fact that Chachamaru had Chachazero sitting on her head, and forcing Chisame to sit on the gynoid's shoulders would mean that the sadistic puppet would have nowhere to go but to him. To put things simply, Chachazero sitting on his head wasn't safe. She would probably use that chance to deal some pent up fury on him.

"Who knows." Kotaro muttered, a bored expression gracing his face. "Why are you so anxious for them to come out again anyway?" He grinned for a moment. "Is the ice princess really having fun with this?"

"H-huh?!" Chisame blushed in embarrassment. She had to admit that she was finally having fun in the festival due to the bizarre series of events that she had been dragged into, but she sure wasn't going to admit to it. Not to these weirdoes! "What sort of nonsense are you talking about?! I wouldn't even be here if I wasn't worried for Izumi's sake. Do you know what consequences there would be if she got to attached to sensei? She would be falling I love with an illusion!"

"Yeah, we get that." Chachazero said from up top Chachamaru's head. "Although it's pretty clear to me that "Ms. Issues" isn't the only reason you're here. You're having fun spying on master and you know it."

"W-what?!" Chisame turned on Kotaro's shoulders to look back at Chachazero. _Oh gawd, I'm about to argue with a puppet. _"That isn't true!"

"I don't blame you." Chachazero went on with complete disregard for the net idol's inner distress. "Master is irresistible, and he's never a dull person to be around either."

"She expressed some fond feelings for Negi-kun earlier." Chachamaru added much to Chisame's growing blush. Kotaro could only roll his eyes. This is exactly why he hated hanging around females. They never spoke of anything important._ And here I thought Chizu-nechan was too much. How'd I get stuck with these chicks?_

"I t-told you that I was kidding!" Chisame flailed her arms.

"Sure you were." Chachazero rolled her eyes.

"Hey-"

"Check it out guys." Kotaro interrupted them. "They're starting up again."

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_"Let's take a look at Eiko and Naoya-san!" _**The lovely announcer exclaimed as the skimpy Ursula student and her partner took the stage. Her date promptly nose bled to death when Eiko struck a sexy pose for all to see. **_"Very sexy! Nice!"_** When the pair returned to their place, she called up the next promising pair. **_"What about our next leading pair, Ako and Negi-san!"_**

The crowd started to go wild when Negi took the stage with Ako by his side. He sported some blue swimming trunks accompanied by a sporty, blue jacket. The dresser had him leave it open so all of the girls in the audience could woo at his toned abs. Ako on the other had wore a two piece outfit that most would expect younger girls to wear. Her innocent look accompanied by the swimsuit was more than enough to make the guys in the audience go wild with envy that she had already been 'taken' by the young magi.

**_"They're sporting "The-Kids-Next-Door" look! The crowd seems to be accepting the unexpected choice rather well!" _**The announcer turned to the side when her young assistant rushed to her with an envelope in her hand. She smiled at the little girl and took the envelope before announcing, **_"The results are in! The winner of the Mahora Best Couple Contest is---"_**

_Oh…please let it be us. _Ako thought to herself desperately as her eyes kept on swiveling between Negi and the floor.

**_Your fear to show your scar probably cost us the contest anyway, coward. _**Dark Ako berated her. **_You're so weak._**

_Leave me alone…just go away. _Ako shut her eyes tightly to keep the tears from coming out.

**_It's because of your weakness that you will never have your precious Nagi. Admit it…you need me._**

_I don't need you for anything!_

**_It doesn't matter little girl. No matter how much you deny me you will never be rid of me. We are one, and to lose me is to lose yourself._**

_I'm not listening._

**_Ignore me if you wish---_**

**_"---Yuki-chan and Haruki-kun!" _**The announcer cried out the winners names. **_"The adorable kids won the hearts of the audience of all ages!"_**

**_--But I am truth. _**Dark Ako finished with a cruel chuckle.

"Oh well. Looks like we lost." Negi said with a light hearted chuckle, but the look of shame on Ako's face wiped away his warm smile.

_She's right….it's my entire fault. _Ako bowed her head before looking up to Negi sadly. "I-I'm sorry. It was my fault we-"

"What do you mean?" Negi cut her off. "I think second place is awesome. "We really did well. Please don't think of yourself as a supporting character." Negi dazzled her with another smile. "We're all leading characters."

**_"…………………………." _**Dark Ako said nothing.

"Y-Yes!" Ako couldn't help but smile back at him. Her feeling of happiness didn't last too long, however, since she finally remembered something important. Being possessed by her dark side scrambled her thoughts so much that she almost forgot about the concert again."Oh no, I almost forgot about rehearsal!"

"Really?" Negi asked nervously. _I don't think that would be a good idea. My past self is probably still there… _"Oh yeah, Kugimya-san said it would be alright. How about you let me hear you play until it's time to go?"

**_----------------F----------------------------------V----------------------------------------A---------------------_**

Negi and Ako stopped in front of an abandoned building that the shy rocker lead them to. From the looks of it the place had not been used for a while…so-

"Where are we?" Negi asked Ako, trying his best to hide his suspicion. It was not that he did not trust her, but with her odd behavior earlier he was not about to step into a trap set up by a bi-polar vampiress. "I've never seen this place before."

"Oh, um, right." Ako snapped out of her trance and scratched the back of her head as she looked to Negi. "This is an old building that I and the others have been using as a rehearsal center every time the other groups started to crowd the campus in the early morning to prepare for the festival. Nobody ever came around here so we never got any interruptions."

**_Perhaps I was wrong about you. _**Dark Ako said with a giggle.

_What…are you talking about?_

**_To bring Nagi to an abandoned building…you must have somethi-_**

_N-No way! Leave me alone!_

**_…So spineless…_**

"Ako." Negi waved a hand in front of her face when she went completely blank again. "Are you paying atentio-"

"HUH?!"

"Whoa!" Negi jumped back.

"O-oh, I'm so sorry Nagi-san!" Ako jumped to him when she saw that she startled him. _I've finally lost my mind. I know I have! I'm talking to myself every few minutes and I'm creeping my date out! _Ako took a moment to think those last words through before a small trickle of blood trailed down from her nose. _No! I've gotta stay focused! _"Let's go in."

"…Alright."

**_----------------------------------------------------_**

**_Within the building…_**

**_----------------------------------------------------_**

The two entered the first classroom they came across, which were filled with suspiciously dusted desks. It turned out that the place wasn't so untouched after all. While Negi inspected everything, Ako couldn't help but blush at her current situation. She was sharing a room with the guy of her dreams and there was no one to stop them from doing anything. Not that they would do anything together…well, nothing indecent mind you. The silence that filled the room started to make the rocker uncomfortable so she spoke to kill the tension.

"Um, w-well this place will do pretty well for a place to practice." She turned to face Negi who had his back to her. He was pushing some of the desks against the wall to make some more space.

"I think this place is going to be used for a haunted house later." Negi said almost as an afterthought. _Alright, she sounds a bit more relaxed. So far so good. I f I can keep her like this until the concert then I'm in the clear._

_Okay, okay…keep calm. Deserted classroom….Nagi….alone….just me and him._

**_Yes, give in._**

_I've been trying so hard to convince myself that this is a dream but…no matter how hard I try…it's not. _She pinched herself, but she still stood in the classroom with Nagi having his back to her. _This is real. I'll never get a chance like this again since Nagi-san's from England. He might go back after the festival is over and I won't ever see him again._

**_So what will you do now that you've come to such a realization? Will you stay idle and allow him to slip away?_**

_I need to make the first move and be a leading character…_

**_Yes, that's right. Confess your feelings to him. At least do that much._**

"Um, Nagi-san…" Ako called his name hesitantly.

"Yes?" Negi turned his head to look to her. "What is it?"

"I know we've met just recently so…it might be strange for me…to say this." Ako started to feel herself sweat. At the same time she felt her other side start to grow stronger. "I, uh, want you to know that…"

**_----------------------------------------------------------------_**

"She's having a hard time forming words isn't she?" Kotaro chuckled at the young woman's nervousness. He was completely oblivious to why she was acting in such a fashion. "It's like she doesn't have a grasp on the language at al-huck!" Kotaro felt Chisame's tiny foot kick him the back of his head before he could finish his sentence.

"You idiot!" The little girl hissed at him angrily. She peeked through the window cautiously so she wouldn't get caught. The sight of Ako with her head bowed as she tried to get the words out of her mouth gripped the net idol's heart with panic. "She's going to confess."_Oh, sensei is so oblivious to the inner workings of a female heart! He's overdone it! Dammit! I knew Iumi was acting a bit weird around the brat, but for her to move so fast…how will sensei handle this?!_

"Great." Chachazero muttered, taking in the scene before her from up top Chachamaru's head. "More drama. As if we didn't have enough already."

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------_**

_Will I get rejected again? _Ako closed her eyes as her mind formed terrible thoughts. "I….I…." She held her hand against her chest and clenched it into a tight fist. She wasn't sure if she had the courage to confess.

**_Is it the fear of rejection that holds your tongue? Do you fear that Nagi will not take you for who you are? _**

_What is so great about me? Why would Nagi accept someone like me into his life? I'm just not worth it. _"I….L….L…"

_'Negi cocked his head to the side in confusion'_

**_Why must you always be this way? You disgust me_**_ **sometimes…**_

_There's nothing appealing about me, but…I don't want to get dumped again…I don't know if I'd be able to bounce back this time if I got dumped…_

**_Why would he do that to you? Have you looked past all of his kindness towards you? He must like you in some way for him to treat you so kindly._**

_Maybe Kumigiya had him spend the day with me to cheer me up. That's the only explanation that makes sense._

**_Don't be stupid._**

_ He'll dump me…he won't accept my feelings…_

**_Listen to me you silly little girl. This isn't about getting dumped or not do you understand that?! _**_Dark Ako snapped at her furiously. **Is this all you're going to do after all that's happened. You forced me away because you wanted to win Nagi's heart your own way. You denied my help and even declared that you could do it yourself. I've been patient and I haven't interfered, but right now you're just ticking me off.**_

_It's just that-_

**_I don't want some excuse! The only thing holding you back is yourself and until you get past that then you'll never enjoy the pleasures life has to offer you properly. Remember what Nagi told you: Be the star of your own life, not some supporting character. Now prove me wrong dammit!_**

_But-_

**_Show me that you don't need me!_**

_I-_

**_ Claim what is yours. Go for it!_**

"Nagi!"

"Yes?" Negi blinked.

"I love-"

**_------------------------------------_**

_"NO IZUMI! DON'T DO IT!"_

**_------------------------------------_**

**_That' right! Don't fail me now!_**

"-Dried squid."

_'Dark Ako and Chisame promptly face faulted in body and soul.'_

"Do you?" Ako finished with a furious blush burning across her cheeks.

**_…I believe I've just died a little inside…_**

"Dried squid?" Negi raised an eyebrow at her question. Where did this suddenly come from anyway? "I'm not sure." He sweat-dropped under her blank gaze and cleared his throat before asking, "So, um, you really like dried squid, huh?"

"Uh, yes…I do." Ako answered. _I've come this far and I still can't say it! Uhhhhhh, I suck so bad!_

**_Face it, you're hopeless._**

_I know…_

**_But I guess that can change._**

_Huh?_

**_I guess I was pushing you too much. Don't worry. There will be other chances._**

_But…Nagi…._

**_I have a feeling that he won't be too far for a while. Don't worry about him disappearing._**

_What makes you say that?_

**_Just a suspicion I've been having for a while._**

"Hey Ako." Negi's voice pulled Ako out of her trance. When she turned to face him, he had a four string bass guitar in both hands. "I've found a bass for you."

"O-oh." Ako flinched. "F-fine."

"Will you let me hear you play?"

"Sure." Ako answered with a creeping blush. She accepted the guitar from him and threw the strap over her shoulders before looking back at him with a timid smile. _He is so cool. It's a shame that this day has to end._

**_There will be others like this if you trust me._**

_I'll think about it._Ako pulled out a guitar pick that she had tucked under her wrist band and ran it across the strings once to get a feel of the tune. _But for now I just want to savor this moment. Now I just want to play my heart out for him because it's the only way I can express my feelings without having to speak. It's the only way…at least for now…_

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"So what were you so worked up about?" Kotaro asked Chisame with a puzzled expression. "With the way you were panicking, I thought a bomb was about to set off."

"Shaddup." Chisame growled.

"Well, this chapter is finally over." Chachazero said with a bit of relief. "Now I can return to master."

"Not just yet." Chachamaru shot down her hopes.

"Whaddya mean, not yet?!" The puppet protested.

"Negi-kun still must attend the concert."

"….Well that sucks…"

* * *

**_------------------------------------------------------_**

**_After the concert..._**

**_------------------------------------------------------_**

With the ending of Dekopin Rocket's rock concert the massive gathering of students had begun dispersing noisily to go enjoy the other attractions that the festival still had left to offer them all. Many whispering students passed Negi and Kotaro with lingering looks though many of the lingering gazes fell upon Negi since Ako called him out from the crowd earlier to express her thanks for their day together. The other gazes that were directed at the dog demon were mainly due to his dog ears, which appeared to look more realistic than most pairs that were sold at the festival stands due to obvious reasons. Negi and the others felt that it would not have been necessary for him to have worn a hat. Not only would it have been unnecessary due to the natural lack of attention he would have attracted in such a large crowd, but it also would not have gone well with the outfit he was wearing.

"Thank gawd, that's over." Kotaro said with a relieved sigh. He looked to his friend who was looking at his planner and grinned before inquiring, "So what's next for the busy teacher, eh?"

"The Library island expedition." Negi replied almost wearily. All of his efforts to keep Ako's dark side in check were finally beginning to catch up with him. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with a similar case anytime soon because another problem like that was bound to wear him out. He may have been a nocturnal, but he could only deal with so much before he would finally be stressed out. _The only thing I could possibly worry about at Library island is getting lost. Nodoka and Yue had no history with Evangeline like Ako did. _The thought of a nice, relaxing walk with the two librarians made the sides of his mouth twitch upwards.

"I could use a little calmness for a change." Negi said to himself.

"What was that?" Kotaro asked, placing his hands behind his head before stretching out his back. There was an audible crack and the young man heaved a sigh of satisfaction. Standing in one place for so long made his back stiff. All of the jumping he and Negi did with the others in the crowd during the performance didn't help much either.

"I said that I could use a nice walk." Negi replied before gesturing for his friend to start walking with him.

"Maybe you could, but I wouldn't mind some sleep right now." Kotaro said with a groan. "Following you and that Ako girl around with that Chisame chick and the others wasn't exactly something I'd agree to do again on my own time."

"Sorry about that." Negi said with a sheepish grin. "Did they give you any problems?" The young wizard's mind was inwardly leaning towards any problems with Chachazero more than anyone else. He never knew Chisame to cause any problems and Chachamaru was a calm person by nature so she wasn't someone to worry about, but Chachazero was another story. He knew that from past experiences with the sadistic puppet.

"Oh man," Kotaro's eyes went wide as he recalled the many things that transpired during Negi's date with Ako. Negi could practically see the horror welling up within his friend's eyes as he continued, "All I'm gonna tell you is that you have some really creepy girls after you. Every time that Ako chick so much and grabbed your arm I could hear death threats."

"Are you serious?" Negi quirked an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yeah, and it wasn't just from that demonic puppet you keep around."

"You mean...no way, not Chisame-san." Negi said in disbelief.

"No, I mean Chachamaru!" Kotaro clarified for him.

"Ch-Chachamaru?!" Negi almost face faulted. "That's crazy! Chachamaru would never act that way!"

"Well, I'll tell you ma-"

_"Ahem..."_ A feminine voice put a stop to Negi and Kotaro's conversation. The two young men looked away from each other and turned their attention to the source of the voice to find the one and only, Takane Goodman standing before them with her hands on her hips. She had on her usual uniform with the nursing cap to top it off, though Negi noticed that the cap was a little slanted to the side in a relaxed manner. The look in her eyes held a flirtatious vibe that he had never taken note of before, and they were looking directly at him with not so much as a blink. _"Negi Springfield..."_

"Crazy stalker chi-mmph!" Negi clapped a hand over Kotaro's mouth before he could finish his last word, but Takane didn't seem to be affected by it the least bit. It was almost as though she didn't even care to acknowledge Kotaro's presence and quite frankly it didn't sit well with his stomach.

"Good evening, Takane-san." Negi greeted her politely, his hand never leaving his friend's mouth in fear that he would come out with another snide remark if he removed it. If there was anything that Negi did not want right now, it was to set the blonde magistress off. She was not a pleasant person to be around when she was in a bad mood, and he definitely didn't want her getting on his case while any of his students were nearby. Gandolfini increased the security level of the campus after the tournament for some reason so it wasn't going to be easy to let things slip by like before. He noticed the empty spot beside her and blinked in confusion. "I see that Mei isn't currently with you. Where is she?"

"She must still be scouting around for confessions." Takane replied casually. "Being that it is the second day, the World Tree's influence is stronger than before so the chances of a confession getting out are greater now."

Kotaro finally managed to pry Negi's hand from his mouth before asking, "So what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out there with her or something?!"

"It's alright." Takane answered calmly much to both young men's surprise. They expected her to snap back after being spoken to so rudely. "Mei is a big girl so she can handle herself just fine alone. As for why I'm here-" Takane's eyes narrowed upon Negi's form playfully. Kotaro caught the look and grew slightly suspicious and unsettled by it. "-Negi promised that he would spend the evening with me."

"Huh?" Kotaro turned to Negi with his jaw hanging. "I-is that true?" The look in the dog demon's eyes screamed, _"You-must-have-lost-your-frickin-mind!"_

"Er, yeah...sort of." Negi nodded in rising panic. It seemed that once again he managed to screw himself. He didn't expect her to actually go out and search for him. Was she really that thrilled about spending the evening with him?

"Sort of?" Takane repeated his last words with a frown of displeasure. "What is that supposed to mean, Negi? Are you telling me that you weren't planning on fulfilling our engagement?" The manner in which she asked her question was enough to tell Negi that he had better think through with his answer before it got out of his mouth or he may very well seal his fate.

"I would never think of doing such a thing to you!" Negi replied with a sweat drop. _Just keep calm and everything will go by smoothly. This is Takane we're talking about. You've dealt with her before._

"A gentleman as always, Mr. Springfield." Takane offered him a pleased smirk.

_Um, I know that there's something wrong with this scene, I just know it! _Kotaro thought as his eyes shifted between Takane and Negi back and forth. _First of all, Mr. Springfield?! I've never heard her call him that before and that creepy smirk on her face is just setting off all sorts of alarms. Negi must see it too because he's really beginning to sweat bullets here._

"T-there's one little problem though." Negi called to Takane's attention, turning her smirk into a frown once more. The playful narrow in her eyes gradually shifted over to something that spoke the opposite. Negi tensed up at the noticeable change within his fellow mage, but he boldly went on regardless. "You see, I was invited to a Library expedition by some of my students and it wouldn't be very responsible of me if I didn't stop by to visit them." The look on Takane's face spoke nothing of understanding on her part, and the fearsome grin that found it's place upon her lips before she responded sent a wave of sickness through Negi's stomach again.

"It wouldn't be wise for you to make such contact with your students while Gandolfini is keeping tighter tabs on the activities of the festival." Takane reasoned cryptically before adding, "We wouldn't want him getting the wrong idea now would we?" At her words Negi and Kotaro exchanged a quick look before turning their attention back to the blonde magistress. They could swear that there was an implied threat within her words.

_I don't think this is safe ground that I'm treading on right now. _Negi thought nervously as he watched Takane fold her arms over her chest. She was obviously expecting a response from him and he had a feeling that going against her advice wouldn't be the smartest move. _I don't know what exactly has gotten into Takane, but unless I want trouble I had better go along with what she wants. _

"We wouldn't..." Negi replied.

"Exactly." Takane sounded satisfied with his answer.

* * *

_ **-------------------------------------------------------------**_

**_????…._**

**_-------------------------------------------------------------_**

_ It was quiet with the exception of the light crackle of flames that were eating at the demolished arena grounds. She opened her eyes seeing nothing but dark blurs, and lights. Feeling was out of the question. There was nothing but numbness at the moment. _Chao Lingshen lay sprawled along the floor with not so much as burn on her body. The flames that danced upon the ruble and debris formed a circle around her as though the fire intended to avoid causing any harm to her. The one thing that caught her attention most, however, was the absence of Dorothy Summers. The Dark Mistress was nowhere to be seen.

"I lived?" Chao spoke weakly. She turned her head to the side, resting her soiled cheek on the warm ground. Her vision finally started to clear up and she got a view of her gloved hand. She couldn't exactly feel what she was doing, but she willed it to flex open and closed. _Motor skills are still working. Let's see if my legs are still functional. _Chao propped herself up on her elbows and looked at her legs before bringing them towards her chest. "No problems here. This doesn't make sense." Chao's eyes widened slightly as she gasped. "But if I survived, is it possible that Dorothy might have as well?!"

_There's no time to make logic of this! _Chao thought as she jumped from what was left of the ring to the stands. She climbed the stairs to the top until she got of view of Mahora campus and grimaced. _ Regardless of whether she is alive or not, I must take Negi to safety. His connections to Evangeline will automatically make him a target in Gandolfini's book when the magic leak gets out._

"I need to lure him to me somehow." Chao thought aloud. "The question is, how?" The Chinese scientist took a seat on the ledge of the roof of the arena and rested her chin upon her hand. "If I cause another ruckus like before I'll get more than just Negi's attention. I need to give him a reason that would only get his undivided attention." A moment later a smirk crossed her lips and she purred, "I've got it."

* * *

There were many things that came unexpected for Negi, however, spending another evening with Takane Goodman after all they had been through was something he would have never predicted. Being forced to spend the night with her against his will was something he never imagined either. There walked the blonde vixen beside him with her hands held behind her back. He had to admit that she had grown in beauty since he last time he had seen her. The way her eyes twinkled in the darkness was bewitching as well. 

"Takane-san." Negi called to her.

"Yes?" Takane looked to him.

"Why aren't you with Mei?"

"I already told you." Takane replied with a serene smirk. "Mei can take care of herself."

"Regardless of that, what would Gandolfini say if he knew that you were doing this instead of attending to your job?" Negi asked, his mind racing for an excuse to have the blonde magistress leave him alone. To say that he was uncomfortable right now was a simple play at words that did no justice for his present situation. Takane was potentially dangerous; there was no doubt about that. She was carrying the vampire gene all thanks to the incident with the World Tree, and with this odd behavior she was exhibiting he would not have been surprised if he had just walked into another _"Dark Ako" _case.

"Why Negi," Takane said in a sweet voice hat sent shivers down his spine, "If I didn't know any better I would have been under the impression that you were trying to get rid of me." She leaned over to him, resting her shoulder upon his heavily. "Am I right?"

"Of course not." Negi assured her.

"That brings a smile to my face." Takane giggled in a disturbing fashion. She grabbed him by the hand and held it tight. "So tell me, what have you been up to since the tournament ended?" Her eyes wandered over him. "It must have been something special for you to walk around in such a disguise."

"It was nothing really." Negi lied.

"Really? Why do I feel like you're lying?" Takane persisted.

"I'm not." Before Negi could react Takane pulled him towards her, and grabbed the back of his neck with her other hand. The madness swirling within her eyes made the young man swallow hard.

"Choose your words wisely." Takane bared her fangs. "…Master."

**_To Be Continued…_**

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**_---------------F------------------------------V-------------------------------------------A------------_**

_Sorry, I know most of you were expecting more to be in this chapter, but I never expected for it to be this long already. I'm going to have to carry this segment on to yet another installment, but anyway. It's time for… **Question time!**_ _(Q and A for those who ask questions only to receive a "…" from the author because he's still trying to figure out the answers for himself…)_

**_Q: "_**_So is Negi going to go evil or something at some point?"_

**_A: _**_See…the answer to the question would be sort of like a spoiler to things. I wouldn't say that he goes evil though. I'll reveal that Dorothy had a hand in it, however, even as the story goes on now, that is slowly changing…for the both of them…_

**_Q: _**_"So Negi has a kid with Chao?! That is just weird Traingham."_

**_R_**_(Response)Chao is his child! Negi has her with Xue Lingshen. I posted that I knew they were relatives in an earlier chapter._

**_Q: _**_"So can you tell me when the sequel will come out?"_

**_A: _**_I'll try to get it out after I'm done with the current series, which isn't going to be long from now. __(I think I've got about three or four chapters left. It really depends on how much of the story I'm willing to fit into the next installment.)_

**_Q: _**_"Is Eva and Negi going to get married and have a family? I just want to know."_

**_A: _**_Gee…I'm not sure if I'm going to even go THAT far in the story with their relationship. I mean…even if Negi is ageless at this point…_

**_Q: _**_"When is Evangeline just going to take Negi to bed with her?" __(The question in my words anyway for reasons you can all understand…yeah, I'm talking to you, dude.)_

**_A: _**_I'll probably give this one a vote. I don't want to get flames or something for a future scene like that later in the series. __(Although that one interlude in the past would make one wonder…)_

**_Q: _**_"Is Takane going to play a major role in the sequel? You seem to like to place more focus on her than anyone else I've ever read before."_

**_A: _**_Well, I've got something planned for her in the sequel so I'd say sort of. I mean, the girl needs some love too, and she is kind of like Negi's underling…_

**_Q: _**_"How many dark mistresses are there going to be? I think they are cool!_

**_A: _**_I'd say about enough to make the story interesting…_

**_Q: "_**_Are Eva and Negi going to have another duel?"_

**_A:_**_ You want them to? I'd need to formulate a reasonable explanation for it though. I mean, the whole, "I wanna see how strong you are from before." bit can only go so far._

**_Q: _**_"How far is Negi and Chachazero going to go with each other? Are you going to put more detail into her rape scene with him?"_

**_A: _**_Rape…ooh…..shivers…._

**_Q: _**_"Chachazero is so awesome! Is she going to share Negi with Evangeline or take him for herself?"_

**_A: _**_It's a Negi x Eva fic…she has to get a piece of him either way._

**_Q:_**_ "Is Negi going to die?"_

**_A: _**_Interesting question…although I think the whole dying of the main character is kind of cliché. That is unless it's done the right way._

**_Q: _**_"Is Negi going to make a pactio with any of the other dark mistresses? Is he going to make a pactio with Chachamaru?"_

**_A: _**_…You know what? That's a very interesting idea to play with. As for the pactio with Chachamaru…I've got to think hard about that one._

**_Q: _**_"Can you give me more sneak peeks?_

**_A: _**_That would kind of kill the experience of reading the sequel won't it?_

**_Q:_** _Are you going to make this a Negi harem with Negi x Eva as the main pairing?_

**_A: _**_"Well, Negima the series is a harem so I'm not taking that formula away just yet._

**_And that is the end of that…_**

**__**

* * *

**__**

**_Traingham…_**

**_P.S: The date with Evangeline will be in the next chapter, promise! _**


	25. A toast to the Unrequited

_Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters…_

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Five: I'd Love You to Touch Me_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

**_-----------------------F-------------------------------------------V------------------------------------A-----------------------------_**

**_"Dark Evangel" Segment…_**

**_------------------------F----------------------------------------V--------------------------------------------A-----------------------_**

It was a cold night in the city of Paris, and not a soul could be seen on the streets. The winds swept across the empty streets with a chilling moan, and moments later the clouds looming above rumbled almost as if to send a warning growl to the Earth below. The scent of moist soil gradually began to hang in the air, and a soft rainfall followed. A sudden crack disrupted the ghostly vibe of the quiet setting; however, the noise did not come from the gathering clouds above. Another crack came from one of the dark alleys that ran across the streets followed by a pained groan. A hunched figure staggered out, looked over their back, and finally fell to the floor. A pool of blood gradually formed around their body like a spreading red gash in the street.

"Don't play dead, boy." Evangeline's voice rang from the dark alley with a cruel chuckle. She came forth from the darkness with not so much as a spot of blood on her twilight mantle, but her left hand dripped with the life essence of her bold attacker. She regarded her hand for a moment before licking it, and smirked. "Unless you want me to paint the streets with you, I'd advise you to talk."

"…What do you want?" The male vampire gurgled after coughing up some blood. The puddle of blood under his face bubbled as he did. Evangeline's smirk dropped when he finally decided to speak, and she crouched down beside his fallen form slightly before grabbing a fist full of his hair and wrenching his head up with a jerk.

"Mistress Summers has come to this city to meet with Mistress Slade." Evangeline tightened her grip on his hair painfully before asking, "Where are they?"

"Why would you want to-"

_Evangeline brought his head up higher, practically lifting his upper body off the floor with it. Her eyes bore into the clansman's coal eyes fearsomely before she softly spoke, _"In your current condition I would be much more worried about making it through the night. That is, if you don't test my patience." She brought his bloody face closer to her own. "I don't mind getting my hands a little dirty."

"They're at the….Pantheon."

"Much appreciated." Evangeline grinned.

"_But that information won't matter to you, Mistress McDowell."_ Evangeline heard a strong voice come from behind her. She let go of the vampire's hair, allowing his face to fall to the floor with a thud, and stood up straight before turning to regard the person behind her. She was faced with an entire squad of Morrigan's clansmen standing before her. They were made up of young vampiric men and women donning light armor.

_Nothing strong enough to withstand a simple kick from me, I'm sure. _Evangeline thought to herself, staring down the squad as her mind already began to formulate ways to dispatch of her adversaries. She was not about to start relying on her spells when there was a possible showdown with a fellow Dark Mistress ahead of her. A face off with Dorothy would not be taxing at all. A duel with a child like the young Mistress Summers was nothing to worry about; however, a showdown with Mistress Slade would prove to be a different world entirely. She had met with her in the company of Mistress Elman in the past.

"My fight is not with you all." Evangeline spoke.

"You are in search of the mistress, are you not?" The same voice replied at her words. Evangeline realized that it had come from the brunette standing at the very front. She had pale skin, clear blue eyes, and her armor was a red shade. It was clear to the Undying Wizard, whom she should direct her words to. This raven haired young woman was obviously the leader of this squad.

"That is right."

"Then your fight is with us."

"I am not here to harm her. I'm here to meet with the mistress that had come to see her." Evangeline said, placing her hands on her hips.

"Mistress Elman informed us that you would be coming here." The leader retorted, causing the dark mistress to quirk her brow. Seraphina had come to Paris as well? To make things even more bizarre, she had predicted her coming. Was she aware of what Dorothy had done to get her attention?

"And what did she tell you?" Evangeline asked.

"She told us that you were a danger to the council's rise."

"The council's rise?" Evangeline echoed her last words. _So the council has already begun to spread it's influence, but it appears that all of the elder class mistresses aren't involved. _The dark wizard furrowed her brow slightly. _And it would seem that Seraphina has labeled me a threat to their order. Things do change quickly, don't they? _Evangeline brushed a few strands of hair from her face as she rolled her eyes for a moment. There was no getting around this sort of confrontation was there?

"You all do realize what will come to pass if Mistress Slade joins the council?"

"We will come that much closer to uniting all vampiric nations." The young brunette answered without any hesitation. "With such an alliance the humans, the magi, and even our eternal enemies, the lycan will have no choice, but to bow at our feet."

"Under one supreme power." Evangeline added, catching the leader off guard. "And who do you think will be the one in power? Most certainly not your beloved Mistress Slade. This council is a front for something even larger. Before long we'll all be fighting each other for control over all nations, and gradually come to a final fall."

"…No. That isn't true."

"You're a child after all." Evangeline shook her head. "And like all children, words aren't enough to silence you so-" Evangeline stopped for a moment to assume a stance before going on, "I'll go by your conditions, and fight my way to the Pantheon."

"Very well, Dark Evangel." The brunette declared as she unsheathed her sword. It was a long broadsword that glinted in the moonlight, drips of rain falling from its tip as the clouds above continued to shower them with its light grace. "I, Adrianne Garnier, will be the one to lay your soul to rest."

"Have at you, Madame."

**_----------------F-----------------------------------------V-----------------------------------------------A-------------------------_**

Dorothy stood before Morrigan Slade under the interior dome of the Pantheon. The moonlight peeking out from the dark clouds outside poured through the windows of the dome and radiated upon both mistresses. Morrigan was a true goddess in her own right with her long crimson hair, which was tide in a long pony tail, falling over her left shoulder. Her eyes never kept to a solid color as they were constantly changing in the light that reflected from them, and her face was inhumanely beautiful. It almost sent shivers down Dorothy's spine to face this woman. Her stature was imposing as she was a few inches taller than her, and her grace was flawless. She was adorned in armor with a red cross on both of her spaulders, and her breastplate. This accompanied with her twilight cloak made her rather intimidating. She almost resembled a valkyrie.

"So the council has sent "_New Blood_" to meet with me?" Morrigan asked in a voice of fine dark silk as she circled Dorothy slowly, almost like a lion inspecting its prey before it went in for the fatal blow. "I'm insulted." She said drearily. The child like tone she took when she spoke her words made Dorothy feel very unsafe around her fellow mistress.

"My apologies." Dorothy told her with a slight bow. "Seraphina was originally meant to meet with you, however, I asked her to have the honor. I wished to see the great Mistress Slade with my own eyes."

"Well, you do have manners." Morrigan said with a nod, halting her observation of the young mistress. "However-" Dorothy's eye twitched in rising fear. "-I question whether such politeness is from genuine respect or out of fear." Morrigan approached Dorothy with a serene grin that spoke nothing of her true nature. "Cute little girl aren't you?" She cupped Dorothy's chin in her right hand.

"Thank…you." Dorothy's voice trembled.

"Very well then." Morrigan snatched her hand away from Dorothy's chin, leaving a thin cut from her nail. Dorothy winced at the sting, but her regeneration abilities healed the small cut quickly. "Tell me what you've come here for."

"I am here on the behalf of the council."

"I know that." Morrigan's French accent finally come on strong at her irritation. "Just get to the point."

"They wish to know your decision." Dorothy replied. "Mistress Elman asked for your allegiance to the council in the past, and she allowed you time to think your decision over. That was a year ago."

"Yes, I know." Morrigan giggled.

"Then you've purposely kept her waiting?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I am having trouble deciding."

"What is hindering you?" Dorothy asked, beginning to feel irritated.

"The idea of relinquishing my powers to the council; the thought of surrendering my clan to the mercy of another." Morrigan answered before narrowing her eyes upon Dorothy imperceptibly. "How were you accepted into the council my dear?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're just a child." Morrigan began. "How were you even considered?"

"…I was next in line after Mistress Gainsborough." Dorothy replied hesitantly. Morrigan's eyes widened slightly at her words with a hint of surprise. It was apparent to the young mistress that the elder mistress had not expected such news.

"You mean to say that Leslie died?"

"Yes…"

"How? Was she murdered?"

"The cause of her death is unknown."

"Unknown?" Morrigan's voice took on a suspicious tone. "The cause of death was unknown?" She emphasized her last word painstakingly. "I find that very preposterous." The mistress's eyes lingered upon Dorothy for a moment as she stayed silent. To Dorothy it felt almost as if she was suspecting her of something. It did well to make her feel uncomfortable.

"My apologies for persisting, but I will need an answer." Dorothy spoke boldly.

"You will receive nothing." Morrigan replied simply.

"If your hesitance has anything in relation to Mistress Augustus-" Dorothy stopped in mid-sentence when Mistress Slade whipped around quickly to face her. She clenched her left hand tightly as though the urge to strangle someone had become unbearable. The young mistress inwardly believed she would carry out her murderous intent upon her if she remained still any longer.

"What business is that of yours?" Morrigan growled fearsomely.

"I am merel-"

"It'd be best to keep your mouth shut." Morrigan cut her off. "If the council wishes to get an answer from me then they had better send someone more suited to confront me about it." She gestured to her with a shooing motion to tell her that the meeting was at it's end. "Leave my sight."

* * *

**_-----------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_As that went on inside…._**

**_-----------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"I wonder how that child is fairing with that demoness." Seraphina wondered aloud, standing at the entrance of the Pantheon. She had on a dark black robe with a deep hood, and her double headed scythe in her left hand. "Perhaps sending new blood to meet with Mistress Slade wasn't such a wise choice."

"Allowing her to join the council was never a wise choice." A voice came from the stair steps before her. Seraphina took a few steps forward to inspect the source of the voice, and smiled when she saw Evangeline ascending them. The golden haired mistress mirrored the smile, and stopped before ascending any further. She stole a glance at her old friend's double headed scythe, and immediately knew that she was expecting her.

"Evangeline McDowell." Seraphina said her name in an amused tone. "We meet again after so long. I see that you haven't even broken a sweat with all of the clansmen that were on watch for you."

"That Adrianne did have some talent." Evangeline said with a grin. "But those children weren't sent to eliminate me were they?"

"Ah? Why do you say that?"

"You had me face Mistress Slade's underlings so that I would be stalled, and so I would have their blood on my hands." Evangeline scowled for a moment. "Now, Morrigan has a reason to see me as her enemy."

"There's no getting anything past you." Seraphina chuckled. "So now that you know all of this, what is your next step?"

"I'll reach Dorothy, and carry out what I came here for." Evangeline replied casually.

"I can't allow you to do that." Seraphina said grimly.

"I expected that."

"Oh, did you?" Seraphina shouldered the shaft of the scythe upon her shoulder and placed a hand upon her hip. "Then this should make killing you all the more satisfying. You know, this could have all been avoided if you simply joined the council. You were originally going to be head mistress, but you turned down the offer so I took it for myself. That damn, Lucinda was no different. She opposes the council as well."

"I don't blame her."

"Well, don't worry. She'll be next after I've dealt with you." Seraphina gripped the shaft of the scythe with both hands and twirled the lethal weapon a few times over her head before bringing it down upon the stair steps quickly. The result was a strong shockwave that surged forth in Evangeline's direction. The dark wizard held out her had causing a dark blade to appear, and canceled out the attack with a rising slash. The blade left a trail of dark crescent shots in the arc she slashed that sliced through the air towards Seraphina, but the snow haired mistress quickly twirled the scythe before her to deflect the counter attack. She followed up with a straight forward, horizontal slash that forced Evangeline to duck before rising up with another rising slash of her own. There was a loud clank as Evangeline's blade met the shaft of Seraphina's scythe, and the two vampires matched their strength against each other, attempting to force the other away so they could follow up with another slash while the other was taken off guard.

"Uraah!" Evangeline grunted as she finally managed to force Seraphina away from her. The other mistress staggered back from the force of the dark wizard's shove, but she jumped back just in time to avoid a slash to the mid-section.

"I can assure you that Lucinda will have nothing to worry about." Evangeline quipped, dropping into another stance. "You'll have a hard time dealing with me."

"Very well then." Seraphina nodded as she got into a charging stance. A look of pure maniacal glee that had never been present on her face before graced her features as she gripped the shaft of her scythe tightly. She kicked forward, and glided down the stair steps to meet Evangeline quickly. **_"PERISH, DARK EVANGEL!"_**

* * *

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**_Mahora Festival: Evening Two (Revelations Segment)_**

**_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

_I must find Negi. I must find him and have him join me before the others get their hands on him. At this point he isn't safe on campus anymore. Not while Doroth-_ "Ugh!" Chao staggered to the side, and fell against a railing that was beside her when a sudden pain gripped her chest. Her breathing became ragged, and her throat felt as though it was being blocked by some thick substance. It became apparent to her that there was something amiss.

"What the heck?" Chao gripped the rail with one hand as she clutched her chest with the other. "What was that?" She questioned when the feeling left her almost immediately as if her alertness scared it away. She took in a few deep breaths to confirm whether the inky feeling within her respiratory track had truly left her. "How odd…" She rasped before clearing her throat. "Did I really leave my duel with the mistress unscathed?"

_Negi…_The name of the young magister seemed to echo within her mind like some sort of reminder to take her thoughts off the suspicions regarding her sudden illness. "That's right. I can't waste time worrying about myself. Negi is all that matters at the present." She willed herself to move onwards, pushing off against the rail quickly. As she walked further away from the arena and deeper into the festive area, the voices of excited students rang through the evening atmosphere. The smell of grilled and fried food wafted through the air, invading the Chinese scientist's nostrils, reminding her that she had not eaten in a while.

"Oh boy, stomachs don't fail me now." Chao groaned softly. _I have bigger things to worry about right now. I need to find someone that will make my plan work. Hopefully the girls aren't away alrea- _Chao's thoughts came to a abrupt halt when she spied someone familiar leaning against the arc to the World Tree plaza. "Ah, the chairman." She said with a pleased grin as she watched Ku-Fei munch on a bun, a distant look gracing her usually blank features. She seemed to be concentrating on something other than the excitement of the festival.

"Chairman?" Chao called to her.

"Mmph?" Ku-Fei turned her head to the source of the voice, and pulled the bun away from her mouth to smile at her friend. "Ah, Chao-san." The chairman pushed off from the wall, and approached her. From the looks of it the martial arts master's arm was fully healed. There was no cast present at all.

"Good evening chairman." Chao offered her a nod as a mischievous smirk slowly crossed her lips. _You will do just fine. I'll work on that naivety of yours to my benefit. _For a moment Chao looked simply evil. The gears in her mind began working, and soon Negi would be in the palm of her hand. All that would be needed now was time.

* * *

_**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Setting our sights upon a tense situation...**_

_**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

Negi Springfield took in a slow breath as he looked into Takane's eyes. They were filled with a feral look that the young magi was sure he had only been met with before in Evangeline's emerald orbs. They spoke of madness, desire, and an unspeakable temptation that even now threatened to swallow Negi up, but the one word his mind kept on repeating as he felt Takane's fingers trail against his neck gently was, _"Danger"_. Yes, it might have been danger that gripped the young man within it's clutches at the present moment because of everything that had transpired thus far, this situation seemed to be out of his control most. Ako had been a problem earlier with her aggressive advances, however, Takane was proving to be an even greater one. In fact, she was a multitude of problems. For one, she was one of Gandolfini's favorites or in Evangeline's words, Gandolfini's Golden Girl. Something told Negi that Takane's vampirism was not something that would slip by the elder mage unnoticed, especially not at this stage where the blonde magistress had practically addressed him as her _"Master"_. Then there was that little detail. She called him her master, which meant she was very well aware of who turned her, but that was also something that brought along problems of its own.

_Does she want something from me? _Negi inwardly questioned himself. The way she held him was borderline on two things, and that was intimacy and hunger. Although she grabbed him rather roughly to hold him against her, she did not hold him in a violent manner. It was gentle, almost as if he was the most precious thing in the world to her. This only managed to work his mind into an even deeper pit of anxiety. As usual he did not even have the faintest idea of what might have been going on in Takane's mind. Was it an appetite of vengeance that lead her on or was it something much deeper? Could it have been...a desire for him instead? He swallowed hard as he thought about the next words that were about to leave his mouth.

"I was in the company of one of my students." Negi admitted to Takane quickly. "She needed a friend to keep up her spirits."

"So you decided to keep her company." Takane finished his train of thought with a growing smirk that sent chills down Negi's spine. "How like you, master. You are so selfless, always putting yourself at risk. Do you realize that at this point Gandolfini is looking for a reason to take you in?"

"What?"

"I guess you're still oblivious to what has been going on since the tournament." Takane cocked her head to the side rather disturbingly. "My only advice to you is that you watch yourself next time you're around Lingshen." Her gaze softened as her smirk gradually became a smile. "Of course, I will be here to make sure that you don't stray towards any trouble."

"Takane-sa-"

"Just Takane, master." Takane cut him off. "I would appreciate it if you addressed me a bit more familiarly." At her words Negi began to feel the corners of his eyes sting with welling tears. This was wrong. It was all wrong. What happened to the woman before him? Why was she speaking to him this way? Where was the Takane Goodman he remembered? He didn't allow himself to shed the tears, but it seemed as though the young woman sensed his distress. "Master?"

"Takane..." Negi whispered her name softly. "What's happened to you?" He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him causing her to let go of him, and accept his embrace instead. She rested her head against his shoulder and inhaled deeply for the scent she loved so much. This was what she sought this entire time. If he held her like this forever she would not ask for anything more. Unfortunately such things were not meant to last long for the dark young woman as the young man let her go. He kept his eyes transfixed on her orbs in search of her true self, but all traces could not be seen within the darkness that sealed them now.

"What do you mean?" Takane questioned him. "There's nothing wrong with me. Why would you ask me that question?"

"This isn't you."

"But it is me." Takane retorted. "This is who I am, and who I want to be."

"That isn't true."

"It is." Takane assured him with a sincere smile that betrayed nothing. She wasn't lying, and it shook Negi to no end. "Master, you have given me freedom, and for that I am thankful. I am, however, displeased with the distance you have been putting between us. The way you regard me even now causes my heart great ache." She reached for his shoulders, but Negi stepped away from her reach. This caused a hurt look to flash upon her face before being replaced by something close to frustration. "This is what I mean." She stepped towards him, and he back of again. "Do you...fear me? Do you dislike me?"

"No-"

"Then why is it this way between us?" She demanded to know. "Why do I sense such discomfort in you?"

"Because this isn't you!" Negi yelled. "This isn't you at all!"

"And who's fault is that?!" Takane retorted furiously. "If you never wanted me then why did you even bother?!"

"I...I..." Negi suddenly had nothing to say. _But it was the World Tree's doing wasn't it? It wasn't my fault that she became this way...was it? Am I to blame here? How am I supposed to answer to that?! _"Takane...I'm...sorry."

"Master, shed no tears for me. I have no need for them." Takane told him. "I just want your love."

"This is still wrong." Negi refused her much to her building fury. "I need to release you from this curse."

"I will accept no help."

"But Ta-" He reached for her but she slapped his hand away angrily.

"This is about Evangeline, isn't it?" Takane asked, bowing her head slightly. "Despite everything I feel for you, she will always be the one who holds your heart."

"That isn't true." Negi argued. "We don't feel that way about each other." _The relationship we have is...much more complex than that. At least that's how I see it. I can never tell how it is she truly feels about me. I guess that I'll never be anything more to her than an underling, but at the same time I'm comfortable with that. In all honesty I'm not sure how I would handle her if she ever held a deeper interest for me. I must still be a child after all...damn my youth... _

_"Then be mine."_ Takane's voice was full of need, and it scared him. _"Leave this place with me, and we can live a new life together. We can do whatever we wish with no one to get in our way." _

"..."

"I see..." Takane said with a light chuckle. She raised her head again to regard him with a disturbing expression gracing her lovely face. It was a mixture of happiness and sadness at the same time. The only word Negi could find for it was, insanity. "Then I see that I will have to turn to other methods." At her words Negi tensed. She wasn't talking about taking him by force was she? The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. His answer came when she took note of the shift in his body language. "Do you fear that I will attack you? If that's the case then I'm hurt."

"Huh?" Negi relaxed.

"I would never hurt you unless it was a last resort." She explained cryptically.

"Then...what other methods are you talking about?"

"There are ways I can turn to that will have you bend to my will, master." Takane smiled maliciously. "Dark Evangel has been able to live a normal life until now, hasn't she? There are no more bounties on her head, and Mahora is keeping her protected from any wizards that still see her as a threat to the balance of the magic ministry." Negi's eyes narrowed as his mind started going ahead of what the blonde magistress had been implying thus far. She was going so far as to use his own feelings for Evangeline against him. This was blackmail, plain and simple. "If I were to tell Gandolfini of her involvement with Chao Lingshen that may change."

"You wouldn't..." Negi's voice fell to a near growl.

"But I would, and I will if you don't submit to me."

"Takane..."

"It's your choice, master. All I wish is that you fulfill your engagement with me for tonight." Takane walked to him slowly as she held her hand outstretched to caress his cheek. "I want the love of my master. Is that too much to ask for? Deny me, and your mistress will suffer the consequences in the long run. Embrace me, and all will be well." She felt him flinch when her hand came in contact with his cheek. The young man turned his head to the side, suppressing the urge to shiver under her touch. This darkness he felt from her was not comforting. It held a violent property that spoke of bitterness.

"Alright." Negi submitted without hesitation. "It was wrong of me to neglect your natural needs. I would feel lost without my master by my side as well, and for that you have my deepest apologies, Takane-chan." He took her hand from his cheek and held it tightly. "I will fulfill my duty as your master."

"Thank you, master."

* * *

Chao walked to the rail of the balcony she stood on to look out to the World Tree in the distance. It looked simply spectacular with the light that radiated from it due to the magic that was still accumulating within it. It's growing beauty, however, also meant that her time was running out. When it reached it's peak that would be her only window out of the present time, and back to her world. She could only hope that her actions here would set everything into a proper motion. Sure, unveiling the truth abut the magic world was something lead on by Dorothy's influence, but at least it would ensure that her mother lived peacefully without the ministry to bother her. The only thing she had to be sure of now was that Dorothy was truly dead, though even now she had her doubts about that being possible. If what the mistress said was true then her very existence would eventually lead to the death of her mother, and her father's gruesome fate. She just couldn't allow that to happen again. The only card she could play now was to persuade Negi to become her ally, and lure Dorothy out by using him as bait. With the young magi by her side, victory would be within her grasps. 

_There's no doubt in my mind that it will be difficult. _Chao thought to herself as she reflected upon Dorothy's words to her. "With the friendship he shares with Ms. Goodman, she probably already informed him that I'm up to more mischief. By now he should already be convinced what role I play in this _"story"_. " Chao gripped the ends of the stone rails tightly until the tips of her fingers bent. She could not believe that she was manipulated so easily. She just could not believe that her mother's true murderer had been standing beside her all along, and to make matters worse she almost allowed the dark witch to have her father within her grasp as well. "How could I be so stupid?! She was so close to getting what she wanted, and the entire time I was so far from completing the mission I had set out for in the first place. Even if the world of magic is revealed, there's no telling what differences will matter as long as Mistress Summers is ali-ugh!" Chao felt her legs suddenly give out, and she fell to the floor, her head hitting the stone rails on her way down. She hissed at the pain in her forehead, and closed her right eye when she felt a warm substance slip over it.

"Dammit." Chao cursed in a whisper, wiping her hand over the cut to see if it already began to heal. She regarded her bloody hand for a moment before hesitantly licking it clean, and standing up on her two feet. It finally became apparent to her that her body was not alright after all. She just hoped that it would not cause her too many problems before she finally confirmed that Dorothy was dead. "Well, I better get to finishing my good-byes to everyone while I'm still unnoticed by Gandolfini and his mages. Tomorrow will be far too hectic by then."

"Chao?" The Chinese scientist heard her name called by a familiar voice. She turned to see Chachamaru, and Hakase standing at the top of the staircase leading up to the balcony. They were both wearing long jackets similar to the one she wore. It was their way of knowing who were their allies. At the sight of them Chao quickly recomposed her cheerful facade before they could observe her face. She did not want them to try and console her. That would only slow her down.

"So have you said your good-byes to the class?" Hakase asked, her eyes already betraying the feelings that her welling up within her. Chao saw it, but she chose to ignore it.

"More or less." Chao answered casually. Such a response was expected from the most detached girl of the class. "To be honest, I'm basically tidying up personal matters more than saying good-bye."

"Don't be that way." Hakase shook her head disappointedly. Chao was taking this as though it was just another step in one of her experiments, and quite frankly, it hurt. "Chao-san, can't you hold off leaving for just a little bit?"

"I'm sure the class would like you to graduate with them." Chachamaru tried to persuade the young vampiress, but Chao shook her head without the slightest hesitation. Her mind was made up and there would be nothing to shake her from it.

"If I miss my chance tomorrow, I won't be able to return home for another twenty-two years." Chao took a moment to look towards the World Tree in the distance. "If it weren't for the unusual phenomenon, I would have stayed for another year."

"Yeah...I guess so." Hakase said dejectedly as her eyes gradually began to water. "I'll miss seeing you around, Chao-san."

"Save the tears. Such things aren't meant for scientists such as ourselves."

"Um, wha-t-tears?" Hakase did her best to blink them away quickly. "There were no tears."

"I saw tears." Chachamaru said with a slight smirk.

"Lies!" Hakase argued.

"Shall I play it back?"

"Hey!"

_It looks like her A.I is really evolving._ Chao thought to herself as she began to walk away, but her fellow scientist's voice halted her before she could go on any further.

"Are you sure you want to continue with this plan?" Hakase asked. "If you do, Negi-sensei will always remember you as the problem child."

_A necessary sacrifice. _"That doesn't matter." Chao retorted almost too quickly. Her response made Hakase and Chachamaru quirk their brows. "It was a shame that we couldn't bring him over to our side. Observed him during the tournament and he's very stubborn for his age. He won't join our cause..." _He won't ever look at me again with acceptance. _"He came here with a purpose just as I did."

**_"Heh, heh, heh."_** The sinister chuckle that echoed along with the evening wind sent alarms ringing erratically within Chao's mind. This person, whoever it was, was a threat to her, and her safety would only be guranteed if she placed as much distance as possible between them. These thoughts were true in her mind, however, something about them didn't seem as though they were her's. It was too complicated for her to really understand at the moment.

"Hm?" Chao turned to the source of the voice slowly to find Evangeline looking down on them from her perch upon a floating broom. She was dressed in her school uniform with a witches hat upon her head. Her long golden hair moved along the breeze fluidly, the mischievous smirk never leaving her lips. "I like your determination, Chao Lingshen. " Unlike most of her greetings to the scientist, this one held a certain quality that disturbed Chao.

"Evangeline-san!" Hakase stepped back in surprise.

"Mistress?!" Chachamaru felt as though she was caught in the act of doing something. This did not go unnoticed by Evangeline, whose eyes lingered upon her maid for a fleeting moment before returning to Chao.

"You seem to have recovered a bit of your magic." Chao remarked at the sight of her.

"Is that worry I detect in you?" Evangeline questioned, resting her chin in one hand as she crossed her legs.

"Not at all."

"Don't fret, I'm staying out of this. Tomorrow is just another day at the festival for me. I'll watch your activities as entertainment while I drink."

"Are you sure?" Chao asked with a grin. "I'll be causing trouble for and fighting your disciple, Negi-chan."

"Fabulous!" Evangeline seemed genuinely excited by her words. "Go buck wild for all I care. Make that boy suffer to your heart's content." _If there was any chance for him to get serious with his abilities, it would be with what you've got planned. This is truly going to be wonderful. _"I'll even loan you Chachamaru. Don't break her." At the mistress's words, the gynoid looked completely lost. Evangeline was actually going to let her go up against Negi? Perhaps if this were months ago she would have gone about hearing those words naturally, but there was something seriously going on and she wanted to know what.

"Thank you very much mistress." On the other hand, Evangeline just saved her the choice of deciding between her beloved Negi and her creator. Admittedly, it would have been a painful choice to make on her own. _Forgive me, Negi-kun. Fate seems to have made us enemies once more despite my wishes to bring us closer. My only hope now is that you understand my reasons for doing so._

_**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Switching over to the opposing mages...**_

_**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

Takamichi looked out at the shining lights of the campus grounds below from the balcony he stood upon. A sad look graced his face as he placed the end of his cigarette back into his mouth for a drag. He closed his eyes for a brief moment in an effort to clear his thoughts, and exhaled. Asuna Kagurazaka, the adorable yet seemingly stoic little princess from his past with the Crimson Wings had finally worked up the nerve to express her feelings for him. It was inevitable and he knew it. Since that night she called him on the phone to ask him out on a day together at the festival, he knew that her days with the young magi had finally made her bold. Negi had that effect on most people...just like his father. The sad truth, however, was that he could never accept her feelings. Not only was it because of their age difference or the fact that he never saw her as anything other than a daughter or a little sister, but his reasons for rejecting her stemmed from his efforts to keep her from plunging too deep into the world of magic. Not only was it dangerous, but he never wanted her to experience what she had as a child ever again. He just wouldn't allow it.

"Hm?" The elder mage felt a powerful presence suddenly appear behind him. He didn't have to turn to know who it was. It had been a while since they had met, but Takamichi could never forget this feeling. "You surprised me Al." His voice still hung with a slight detection of sadness, but it gradually regained its natural firmness. "I never thought you were dead or anything, but what have you been up to?"

"Well, for starters, I've been attending the school festival for many years now." Alberio answered melodically.

"R-really?" Takamichi was taken back by this information.

"Actually I couldn't move except when the World Tree was brimming with magic during the festival. I've been recuperating her for the last decade."

"In any case, I'm glad to see you again Al. I'd like to hear what happened to you all..."

"Lots of things." Al answered. "It seems like you've been through a lot yourself, Takamichi."

"So..." Takamichi swallowed hard. "...Is he alive or...I mean, do you know where he is?"

"I'm certain he's alive, but I don't know his whereabouts." Alberio's serious expression dropped as quickly as it had appeared, and he began to laugh again. "I'm sorry, I can't exactly get around myself."

"...I see." Takamichi nodded before hearing his cellphone ring.

_"Takahata-sensei."_ Gandolfini's voice came from the other side.

"Yes?"

_"Meet me at the headmaster's office."_

"Alright. I'll see you there." Takamichi replied before hanging up the phone.

"Heh, good luck with your work."

**_----------------------------F-------------------------------------------------------V----------------------------------------------------------A----------------------------------_**

Takamichi walked through the halls that lead to the headmaster's office, finding it lined with mages, make and female, dressed in black suits and ties. Their shades were tucked within the inside pockets of their jackets since it was dark outside. They all stood completely still with their hands held behind their backs. The atmosphere of the place felt like there was no room for anything but business and professionalism. Seruhiko and Akashi waited for him at the door while Gandolfini could be seen inside with Kataragi, talking to the others that had gathered for the meeting. At this sight Takamichi was sure that the peace on campus had finally reached its end. Gandolfini had finally decided to take action against Chao, and with the mages he had summoned to the office he could tell that apprehending her wasn't going to be easy.

"Hurry up, Takamichi." Akashi called to him in a near whisper.

"Toko-san is getting irritable." Seruhiko said nervously.

"Right." Takamichi nodded, increasing his pace. When he entered the office, Seruhiko and Akashi closed the double doors. He looked to Toko sheepishly as the blonde swordsman glared at him, and took a seat near the door beside the portly mage, Mitsuru.

"What have you been doing?" Mitsuru asked him.

"I was busy." Takamichi answered without offering any more information. Gandolfini looked to him after he was done explaining the situation to all who was present and nodded to him saying, "Good to have you here, Takahata-sensei. You don't really need much of an explanation since you took on Lingshen's machines underground."

"Yes. What happened?"

"Toko has informed me that the magi leak has spread far too much. We've tried our hand at stopping the spread on the web, but it has already gone beyond our control. The only thing we can do now is try to limit the attention by clearing it off as a simple source of media entertainment."

"Meaning?"

"There's a movie in the works now." Seruhiko jumped in with a chuckle. "It's the best we can do at the moment."

"It should go nicely on the shelves beside those _"HP"_ movies." Akashi added, eliciting a sigh from Takamichi and Gandolfini. "We have a few members in the ministry at Hollywood to get the project on the road quickly. A pretty mean budget is being used to make those CGI effects look believable enough to blend in with the actual footage that's been released by, Lingshen."

"Meaning you'll be a movie star Takamichi." Seruhiko offered him a thumbs up. "Negi too."

"That is beside the point." Gandolfini waved the two teachers off quickly. "Right now, Sister Shakti is trying to locate the reserve of the mechs that Lingshen has at her disposal with the help of Cocone and Misora. Ms. Kasuga informed us that they were originally stored under the World Tree, but a search down there found us nothing at all. We're not sure how she was able to relocate them so quickly, but if we don't find them soon we'll be in trouble."

"An engagement on the campus must be avoided." Takamichi said grimly.

"My thoughts exactly." Gandolfini nodded. The door got his attention when Mei walked in. From the looks of it she seemed to be unable to find Negi and Takane. "Couldn't find them?" The dark skinned teacher asked, approaching the young red-head.

"No." Mei answered with a shake of her head.

"What are those two up to?" Gandolfini scratched his chin. "I can understand Springfield being hard to find, but this just isn't like Takane. I hope nothing went wrong."

"Don't worry." Takamichi told his fellow mage. "I'll try to get a hold of Negi."

* * *

_**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Returning ourselves to the matter of the two in question...**_

_**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

"Since I came here, I've always wanted to get on one of these." Takane told her seat mate, looking out the small window of the car they were riding in that was hanging from the cartwheel. They reached the highpoint of the rotation again so they were given another breathtaking view of Mahora campus. Everyone below looked like a mixture of colors moving along the little flames that were lights on the stands and streets. "Master?" She looked to her side to see Negi looking straightforward with a distant expression gracing his features. This was not the first time she found him doing this, and it was seriously serving to piss her off. Why was he never focused on her?!

"Master!" Takane called his name louder to get his attention.

"Y-yes, Takane-chan?" Negi asked, startled from being pulled out of his stupor.

"Listen to me!" Takane demanded. "You're never paying attention."

"I'm very sorry." Negi apologized.

"Whatever." Takane grumbled. "You must have been thinking of that witch again."

"Don't call Eva that!" Negi defended his master.

"Why not?!" Takane growled. "I don't see any reason not to! Have you forgotten the reason she is so infamous?!"

"No, I haven't, but I won't continue to judge her solely upon her past." Negi retorted, looking back at her with as much intensity as she had burning within her eyes. At the same time he felt like he was treading on thin ice. The dark young woman before him was not afraid to turn to any dirty tricks in order to force him to bend to her will.

"She's brainwashed you, master!"

"She has not!"

"Look!" Takane grabbed him by his shoulders, gripping them tightly. "I don't know what she has done to make you think so well of her, but you must see past these fabrications that she has conjured before you. Please master, I don't want you to become like her! Join me and I can show you a way out."

"You don't want me to turn out like her?" Negi asked furiously. "Like her?! You don't want me to turn out like her- are you even listening to yourself?!" His sudden outbreak caught Takane off guard as he placed his hands upon both her cheeks. "Look at what you've become, Takane. You bound me to your will, and you dare to talk ill of Evangeline?" Negi scoffed. "At least she would have found a way to persuade me to see her way instead of threatening the well being of my friends to force me." Negi leaned towards her until his nose was practically touching her own. His eyes bore into hers until he finally broke the silence, asking, "If you truly want my attention then you have to meet me face to face. I won't acknowledge a mask."

"What...do you mean?"

"I want to hear the true Takane's desires. Right now you're so filled with darkness that you don't understand how to express your feelings properly." Negi dropped his right hand from her cheek and moved his left hand against her smooth skin until he was able to cup her chin. He could slowly sense the darkness within his underling diminishing. He could tell that he was finally breaking through to her. "Tell me, do you even understand what you feel for me? What you have now is not love, but an obsession."

"No..." Takane shook her head slowly. "That isn't true."

"But it is Takane-chan. When you love a person..." _I don't know what I'm about to say, but I hope it makes sense. _Negi inwardly grimaced at himself. Here he was, technically still eleven years old and he was about to give an older girl a lesson in love. Sometimes he just could not believe the things he had to do in order to survive. "...you don't attempt to hurt them in any way, even if they don't agree with what you want. Right now you're willing to take everything away from me if it means claiming me."

"But...you don't get it..." Takane stumbled over her words.

"I don't get what?" Negi asked, feeling her pull away from him. The dark young woman turned away from him, concealing the nature of her expression, but he was sure that she was gradually beginning to break down. The cracking within her voice was all the indication he needed. "Tell me Takane..."

"I don't remember quite when it was that I began to fall for you. From the beginning I just saw you as some brat that could lead me to greatness...a tool to assist me in gaining Gandolfini's favor and praise. When I heard that you had some connection to Dark Evangel, I was simply overwhelmed with excitement. I figured that extracting information from a little boy would be no problem at all, however...what I found was not nearly what I expected." Takane's voice gradually gained an edge. "You were a gentleman, you were intelligent, and the feeling I felt whenever I was around you was simply indescribable. You made me feel as though anything was possible. Whenever I confronted you I felt the strong need to overcome you, and prove myself to you as if your impression of me mattered more than Gandolfini's, and now that I think about it...it was. I violated my code of ethics just to be by your side. I twisted my objectives to meet you at any given moment that I could steal for myself. I came up with lame excuses so that maybe you would consider my company. I understand now why I invited you to dinner. Try as I might to deny it, jealousy plagued me whenever I saw you in the company of one of your students. That night I chased you and your student through the plaza, I felt betrayed that you would go on a date with her after being with me the night before. I j-just couldn't accept the thought of you being with another girl."

"...Wow..." Negi simply could say nothing more.

"Then I realized that McDowell would always have a hold on you, and I became even more paranoid. I felt that I had to turn you against her in order to gain your trust. When you left me behind with her I was furious. I felt that you didn't even care for me anymore so I needed to find another way for you to notice me. The tournament posed many opportunities, but whenever I faced a challenger you were never there to watch me. Once again, I felt worthless. When you saw me naked, I felt that I could no longer show my face, and yet at the same time I was filled with a need to know if you appreciated the sight of me." Her words made Negi's face heat up. "When we were in the ring together I was determined to have you acknowledge me to the point that I almost blew my cover. When that failed, I felt the clutches of defeat slowly reaching me, and yet I could not give up. I was determined to find you after the tournament, and comfort you after hearing about your last match. I believed that if I managed to console you that perhaps you would understand my feelings for you, but I failed again. I almost lost hope, and I grew angry again. Seeing you happy again after not seeing you for a period of time only added to my belief that I had failed you, and yet you promised to see me in the evening and my world was suddenly right again. I was filled with excitement. I just couldn't stay focused on anything other than what we might do when we met later, but something happened that simply tore me down again."

_This is beginning to disturb me..._Negi thought when he saw Takane begin to tremble.

"I saw you walking around with that young woman that stopped us on the evening we went out to dinner together-"

_She saw me and Ako! That's why she asked me about where I was earlier._

"-and I just could not take it...anymore."

"Takane..." Negi reached for her shoulders and pulled her against him so her back was against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her gently so she would stop trembling. "I had no idea that...I-I'm sorry."

"Master..." Takane whispered. "I tried to deny my feelings. I tried to convince myself that everything I felt was due to stress, but no matter how much a tried to turn away from you, I always found myself leading back to you regardless. I know that what I'm doing is wrong, but...I'm tired of hiding myself. I don't want to lie to myself!" Takane turned her upper body in Negi's arms so she could face him with tears trailing down her cheeks. "These are my true feelings-"

Negi's eyes widened in fear. _Oh gawd, she's going to say it-_

"I love you, master Negi!" Takane shook her head before going on, "No, I love you Negi Springfield, and I don't care if you don't feel that same way now, but soon I'll have you understand."

"Takane-umph?!" Takane took his moment of surprise as her chance to capture his lips. When she felt him pulling away she slipped her arm out of his hold and grabbed him by the back of his head to keep close.

_Forgive me master, but I need this. At least give me this... _Takane thought, increasing the fervor in her kiss. Negi began to feel a strange sensation coursing through his body and before long he understood what Takane had been planning. A sudden gust rushed through the car, making it rock back and forth much to the growing panic of the students in the other cars on the cartwheel, and a red aura surrounded them before finally exploding in a blinding flash of white light. When it was over Negi opened his eyes to find Takane passed out in his arms. She had no more worries. She attained what she wanted all along.

"A pactio." Negi said to no one in particular. "So now she has my pactio card." His thoughts were interrupted when he felt his phone vibrating. He looked at it and found a message from Yue.

"What is this?" Negi narrowed his eyes before gasping. "Chao...she's leaving?"

_The cartwheel stopped..._

"Huh?" Negi looked to the door when it opened.

"Are you alright?" One of the technicians asked as she entered the car. "We saw the car rocking and we..." She stopped when she saw Takane lying against Negi, breathing heavily. "...Er, oh, I get it."

"Huh?" Negi caught on quickly. "Um, n-no, you've got the wrong idea!"

"Sure buddy. Just get a room, huh?"

"Look, I need to get her to the infirmary, alright?!"

"Whatever you want." The girl shrugged her shoulders.

"Why do I feel like you still don't believe me?" Negi grumbled before feeling his phone vibrate in his hand. "Again?" He looked at it to find another message. This time, however, it was from Takamichi.

_A meeting...about Chao-san? What's going on now?_

* * *

_**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Bringing both motions of time together...**_

_**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

Chao stood upon the tower of the World Tree plaza with her hood drawn over her head so none of the opposing mages would be able to make out her face from afar. Negi sent her a message stating that he would be meeting her here. In her heart she already knew the reason why he wanted to call a meeting with her, however, she also knew that it wasn't just because of the news of her departure from Mahora that Ku-Fei probably already informed everyone about. This would make getting through to him very difficult.

"Takahata-sensei and Gandoflini must have already gotten to him." Chao mumbled to herself. _Why did things have to come to this? It was never meant to go this way...but telling him the truth could only cause problems for the both of us. _Chao placed her hand upon her heart, and clenched her chest tightly._ Especially for me.\_

"Chao-san!" Negi's voice came from behind her. She could detect the worry and confusion in his voice and it struck a chord within her.

"Negi-chan?" Chao turned to regard him in his normal form. "What did you want to talk to me about one-on-one? I don't suppose it's guidance counseling."

"Chao-san...I protected you the day before the festival from those magical teachers that were after you. I did that because you're one of my students, Chao."

"Hm." Chao grinned though there was no amusement within it. It seemed to be more fit for an annoyed child.

Negi pulled the Cassiopeia out of the pocket of his cloak and held it up before his face before going on, "When you saw that I was in need of help you lent me this, and for that I'm very grateful." His eyes swiveled back to her. "That being said, why did you send in your withdrawal note so suddenly? Why do you want to do such bad things?"

"Bad things?" Chao echoed his words in a questioning fashion. "Is that what the teachers told you?"

"What?" Negi was caught off guard by her response. Was she oblivious to her own actions or was there more to them than the others understood? "You captured and kept Takamichi underground against his will, and you don't call that wrong? Not only that, but you intend to reveal the existence of magic to the general public!" Negi approached her, "That is what I heard from the other teachers, Chao, but I won't believe it unless I hear it from your mouth!"

Chao's eyes took on an unusual gleam, "And what would you do if it was true?

"Then I wou-wait! Are you telling me that it's true?!"

"It's the truth, Negi."

"Would you tell me why?! Why would you do such a thing?!"

"I can't tell you."

"Chao..." Negi clenched his right hand into a fist. This wasn't something that he wanted to resort to, but she was giving him no choice. "Then as your teacher, I must stop you and keep you from going down the wrong road!"

"Interesting. Have a go at it then." Chao offered with a smirk.

"What?" Negi began to sweat.

"See if you can stop me sensei." Chao challenged him before a blue curtain of light showered them. Both vampires looked to the side to find the World Tree shining upon them with it's radiant glory. It had to be the brightest Negi had ever seen it shine since the night he was possessed. While he showed worry at this unexpected turn up, Chao smiled almost gleefully. "This is fabulous! The last day is approaching. It's going to be the brightest flare in twenty-two years." She looked back at him and a simply sinister expression graced her lovely features. "Now it will be very difficult for you to stop me."

_**You, and Mistress McDowell in fact...**_

"Chao-san, you can't use magic..." Negi scratched the back of his head curiously. "...and from what I heard from Ku-roshi...you can't control ki either. I don't think you really should-"

"Tell me Negi." Chao cut him off before he could speak any further. "Hypothetically speaking, if our lives were to be made into a story, would you consider yourself to be the hero?"

"I don't see where you're going with this, Chao."

"How shocking would it be if you turned out to be the bad guy?" Chao questioned him. "There is no such thing as good or evil, sensei. There are simply two opposing sides with different views and perspectives. What tips the scales, however, is subjective judgment."

"I wouldn't go that far-" Negi's eyes widened when Chao disappeared before his very eyes.

"Those who succeed in the end are the powerful."

_Negi went completely stiff when he heard her voice come from behind her._

"They may be good, or evil."

_Holy- _Negi was far too startled for his mind to process any further. He preformed a shundo to put some distance between them. _How was she able to get behind me so quickly. I didn't sense her movement at all! _Negi got back to his feet uneasily. "Chao, I have no intention of fighting you! Can you at least tell me your reasons for-"

"You know what? I have a wonderful idea." Chao chimed, assuming a fighting stance. She clenched both her hands into fist and her gloves crackled with electricity. "I'll tell you my reasons, and I'll even refrain from my activities."

"You w-will?" Negi couldn't believe his ears.

"If you best me in combat!" Chao went on.

"No!" Negi growled.

"And if you lose, Negi-chan, you'll have to join me." She smiled again as she wagged her index finger at him. "Don't worry, I'll tell you my reasons if you join me as well. Either way, you'll still find out. How good for you!"

"Wait just a-"

"I'm not giving you a choice, Negi!" Chao cut him off before kicking forward on one foot to send herself gliding in his direction. "**_Let's go!_**"

_What was that just now?! _Negi felt his senses spike. _This feeling I'm getting from her...t-this dark aura...where did it come from?! _Negi had no time to for any deductions as Chao finally closed the distance between them, and stopped short on the tip of her toes to deliver a spinning backhand. Negi managed to block her attack before using his quick reflexes to direct a an open hand thrust from her. The speed she was fighting him at was simply mind numbing.

_Even with my enhanced speed as a vampire, she's really making me push myself!_ Negi inwardly groaned as he narrowed his eyes in desperate concentration. She attempted to kick him in the face and he grabbed her rushing foot before sending her twirling with a quick turn. Chao landed back on both feet perfectly and lunged forward with another punch. When Negi blocked it she dropped down to the floor without warning and attempted to take him down with a quick leg sweep. Negi stopped his fall by slamming both of his hands upon the floor and pushing off quickly to do a back flip, landing back on his feet before assuming a defensive stance. He clenched his hands into fist and felt them tremble.

"God, that's fast." Negi breathed out. "So you're serious!" He yelled to her as she got ready to attack him again.

"You'd best take me seriously!" Chao quipped. She ran to him again, but this time she jumped to preform a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. Negi was quick to block her attack, but she teleported again and connected her kick with his face instead. He was sent staggering back from the impact, but he managed to stand his ground again only to be forced to take action again as Chao followed up with another barrage of punches.

_She's still not as strong as master! _Negi thought, jumping away from her to prepare a volley of light arrows. He sent them flying in her direction only to have all of them miss when she dodged between them easily. She was moving so fast that she left after images in the path that she charged. She dipped into a slide to cover more ground and rose up just as she was in front of Negi to deliver a powerful uppercut that exploded with electricity as it made impact. Negi's vision went completely white as he was sent flying up a few feet before he felt a kick to his stomach that sent him crashing into one of the pillars that supported the roof of the tower.

"Ugh..." Negi groaned at the pain that exploded in his body. He could still feel the painful tingle of the electricity that Chao sent surging through his body. _This is unreal. She's going to beat me if I don't stop pulling punches. I have to-wha-_

"Not banged up too much, are you?" Chao asked, standing over him. He forgot how fast she was able to move.

"No..." Negi replied, pushing his palms against the rubble around him. "Not at all!" He kicked forward quickly and sent himself crashing into her like a bullet. Chao was momentarily caught off guard by his rash attack, but she quickly regained control and teleported out of his arms. When Negi felt her slip away he stopped himself in mid-air and came at her, flying.

"So now you're fighting seriously!" Chao cried out gleefully. "That is what I want to see!"

"Huh?!" Negi suddenly felt a dark rising force within her.

_"Let me feel your strength! Attack me without hesitation!" _Chao yelled before the floor at her feet exploded, bringing forth dark tentacles. Negi dodged a few of them, but he felt the others bound his arms and his waist before being slammed to the floor brutally. Negi felt all of the fluids within his mouth splurge out from the impact and he remained motionless. Chao approached his fallen form and stopped when his head was at her feet. _"I refuse to believe that you are exhausted. Show me more of your wondrous abilities. This performance isn't_ _what is expected from the blood coursing within your veins."_

"Grrrrr..." Negi's hands twitched to Chao's growing pleasure.

_"Yes, fight me!"_

"Raaaaaagh!" Negi yelled at the top of his lungs as he fought to get back to his feet, but the tentacles that restrained him to the floor were strong. He dug in even deeper and managed to get to his knees but that was his limit. "...I...have to try...harder..."

_"Well, I guess even this is acceptable for now." _Chao chuckled darkly.

"Who are...you?" Negi asked weakly. "You can't...be Chao!"

_"Ah, so you sensed a change? How remarkable. I made sure to cloak my presence as best I could." _Chao asked with a smirk. _"As I once told you before, I am your biggest fan."_

"Release Chao-san!"

_"Not just yet."_ Chao refused. _"I still have a need for this body. I can't allow myself to be seen out in the open." _She crossed her arms and her shadow spread along the floor like a growing blotch of ink until it surrounded Negi.

"What the-" Negi started to panic when he began sinking into the darkness. "Huh?! STOP THIS!" He screamed. His eyes swiveled back down to see the darkness already reaching his knees. Before long he would be completely absorbed into it. _Oh god, what is this?! Am I going to die? Where will I go?!_

_"Just calm yourself, Negi."_ Chao spoke to him soothingly. _"You will simply fall into a deep sleep, nothing more. I will awaken you soon."_

"NO! LET ME GO!" Negi screamed. _Master...Eva. I don't know what I've gotten myself into, but I just want to see your face again. Please don't let this be the end._

**"STOP!"** A voice demanded. Negi watched as Chao whipped her head to the side before disappearing to avoid being attacked by a blur that stood where she had been seconds ago.

"Negi-sensei?!" Setsuna immediately rushed to him, and released the dark tentacles hold on him with a quick slash from her sword. She sheathed it and grabbed a hold of his shoulder to pull him out of the dark void. "Are you alright?!" She asked him, holding him against her.

"Y-yes." Negi nodded quickly. "Thanks Setsuna."

"Don't talk sensei." The swordsman quited him before turning away from him to look at Chao who had been perched upon one of the broken columns that lined the walkway. "I told you that if you betrayed Negi-sensei's trust that my sword would not remain silent, Chao Lingshen." Setsuna slipped her arms away from the young magi, and unsheathed her sword again, pointing it at the Chinese scientist with narrowed eyes. "You should have listened."

"No Setsuna!" Negi grabbed her arm. "That isn't, Chao-san!"

"What do you mean?" Setsuna asked, quirking her eyebrow.

_"So this is all the help that comes?" _Chao questioned.

**"No!"** Came a multitude of voices from behind her.

_"What?!" _Chao whipped around to find sixteen identical young women running towards her.

"Prepare yourself, Chao!" All sixteen Kaede's warned her before jumping towards her, poised to attack. The young scientist whipped her hands over her head and the shadows gathered around the column she was standing on before rising up to deflect the ninjas split attack. When that was done she screamed and the darkness rushed towards all the Kaede's, sending them crashing to the floor. All of them disappeared to reveal the true Kaede standing beside Negi with Setsuna.

"This is going to be tough." Kaede said grimly. "Not only can she defend herself, but her offensive isn't too bad either. She wiped out my shadow clones pretty quickly."

"We'll have to get through that somehow." Setsuna mused.

"Well, let's get to it then." Kaede nodded, getting into a stance.

"Alright." Setsuna nodded back. Both girls commenced their attack; Kaede utilizing her shadow clone split again, and Setsuna rushing forward towards Chao as the vampiress focused her attention on the ninja squad. When Chao unleashed a wave of darkness to dispatch Kaede and her clones, Setsuna ran up the column, and grabbed her arm before twisting it with a strong jerk to bring her down to the floor with her. The swordsman pinned the scientist down when they touched down and kept her restrained as best she could.

_"Futile!"_ Chao laughed. She vanished and reappeared behind Setsuna and deliver a crippling blow to her back. The swordsman went flying until Negi jumped, and caught her in mid-air, sending them both flying into the doorway leading down from the roof.

"You okay?!" Negi asked with a groan from crashing against the door.

"Yeah I'm fi-"

_"I'm not done with you!"_ Negi and Setsuna whipped their heads to the source of the voice to find Chao gliding towards them at top speed. _"Away from him, NOW!"_

"Brace yourself!" Setsuna cried out, standing in front of Negi to protect them. Luckily for them Kaede veered Chao off course with a well placed kick to her side. The vampiress rolled when she hit the floor, and recovered quickly.

"She's not easy to stop is she?" Kaede asked with a grin.

"Seems so." Setsuna agreed.

"Stop." Negi halted them.

"What?" Both girls looked back at him at the same time.

"I'll face her."

"No way." Setsuna refused.

"She'll try to take you again." Kaede reasoned.

"Step aside!" Negi pushed past them regardless of their opposition, and charged forward before they could pull him back. "Chao!"

_"Ah, Negi! Finally back again, are we?"_ Chao questioned excitedly. _"Very well then, fight me!"_

"I wi-"

_**"SURPRISE!"**_ Both vampires were caught completely off guard when they heard all of the girls cry out. Negi stopped short, and Chao cocked her head to the side in puzzlement. Ayaka and the others revealed themselves from their hiding spots behind the other side tower and rushed forward in hopes of surprising the scientist.

"No, not here!" Negi growled. "It isn't safe."

_Such bad timing. It's those brats. _Chao thought, inwardly annoyed that they decided to make their appearance. She looked at Negi's worried face and chuckled. _"Worried about them, are you?"_ She asked him, crossing her arms.

"Not here..." Negi shook his head pleadingly. "Don't get them involved."

_"Very well."_ Chao nodded with a smile. _"We'll continue this some other time."_

"...Thank you." He was surprised when his words caused her to blush.

_"F-Farewell!"_ With that Chao jumped from the tower and disappeared.

"...Dorothy..."

* * *

_**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Cooling off at Evangeline's resort...**_

_**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**"Master?"**_

_Ungh...leave me alone. I don't have the energy for this anymore..._

_**"Master Negi?"**_

_Quit it..._

_**"WAKE UP MASTER!"**_

"W-what?!" Negi woke up, startled by the voice's loud call for him. He was shaken even further when something landed on his chest. "H-huh? Chachazero?" The young magi sighed when he found himself looking dead int his familiars green, emerald orbs. While most normal people would be scared petrified, looking in to the murderous puppet's eyes, Negi could not have been any more relieved. In fact he was happy to see her again. He felt much more secure when she was keeping him company. "Man, am I glad to see you." He mumbled.

"Same here, master Negi!" Chachazero chirped happily. "When the mutt told me about you and that blonde airhead, I got so pissed off! That girl is always trying to keep you to herself. It just annoys the hell out of me."

"Oh you mean, Takane..." Negi said, averting his eyes.

"What's wrong, master?"

"Um, nothing, nothing." Negi waved her off. "So where am I?"

"You're in Eva-san's resort. Setsuna, and Kaede brought you here unconscious." Chachazero explained. "Said that you passed out."

_I did, huh? _Negi thought as he placed his hand on his forehead. _I'm surprised that I survived everything that happened yesterday_. He tilted his head to the side, and heaved another sigh. Everything was out of his control now. He was going to have to inform Evangeline himself before she found out about it on her own, otherwise she would hurt him for keeping it all a secret._ I wonder how she'll react to the news about, Takane. She probably won't take it too well._

"YO!" A loud voice got Negi's attention. He sat up in bed to see Kotaro standing at the doorway of the room with his swimming trunks on. "How long are you planning on dozing off, huh?"

"How long has it been?" Negi asked curiously.

"A two days, man." Kotaro answered much to his surprise.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Negi practically sent his familiar flying off of him as he scrambled out of the bed. The covers got tangled with his legs, and caused him to fall to the floor in a tangled mess. "I-I need to get back out there!"

"Um, technically two hour in this dimension...remember?" Kotaro chuckled at his friend's mistake.

"Oh...right." Negi sighed.

"Master..." Negi looked beside him to find Chachazero on the floor. "That actually hurt."

"I'm sooooo sorry!" Negi apologized, clutching the puppet to his chest.

_Ha, I should use the guilt trip more often._ The puppet thought to herself, enjoying the warmth that her master provided her.

"Are you gonna come with me or are you going to cuddle that voodoo doll all day?"

"Oh, I'm coming." Negi replied, kicking the covers off from his legs. He got to his feet clumsily, and followed his friend out into the resort much to Chachazero's displeasure. If she ever had the chance to rid herself of Negi's dog companion she hoped it wouldn't be long.

When the two boys got out into the open, Negi found almost all of the girls messing around with each other in the pool while others tanned on the beach chairs that lined the sides. Setsuna and Kaede spotted him with Kotaro and walked to him to greet him. Setsuna was wearing the school swimsuit while Kaede wore something Negi felt was a little too revealing though he did not express his distress at her appearance outwardly. This didn't go unnoticed by Kotaro as well, but he had a lingering fear for the female ninja so nothing came out of his mouth.

"How are you feeling, sensei?" Setsuna asked.

"You had us worried, sleeping for an entire two days." Kaede noted her worry as well. "The only thing that kept Konoka from rushing in was Evangeline's assurance that this was normal for someone like yourself." Kaede stroked her chin, cocking her head to the side. "I'm still trying to figure out what she meant by that though."

"Um, where is she by the way?" Negi asked.

"I haven't seen her since yesterday when she kicked Asu-"

"Hey!" Asuna's voice cut Setsuna off. The red-head ran to them, all the while pointing at the net idol who had been relaxing at the side of the pool. "What is she doing here?!"

"Chisame-chan kind of found out." Negi explained sheepishly, feeling a bit nervous at the frightening expression that Asuna was directing at him.

"Kind of?!" Asuna went hysterical. "Do you want to be turned into an ermine or what?! Those other mages are running around the campus like they're the law now! If they ever find out about this-"

"I'M SORRY!" Negi apologized, flailing his arms.

"THIS ISN'T MY PROBLEM!" Asuna scolded him.

"One look at the boya, and you're back to your old self, Kagurazaka." At the sound of Evangeline's voice, Negi's spirits had been lifted. It had been so long since he had the pleasure of listening to her! He was seriously beginning to miss all of her lectures.

"Eva!" Negi ran to her joyously with open arms.

"Huh?" Eva raised an eyebrow in confusion. _Is he seriously trying to give me a hu- _"Ah!" She almost fell when her underling made contact with her, throwing his arms around her small frame. His actions served to confuse all the girls watching since the scene seemed quite foreign to them. Perhaps if Evangeline sent the young magi flying in the other directing with a kick this would seem so much more acceptable, but five seconds passed and that had yet to happen...so...what the hell did they miss?

"I have so much to tell you!" Negi said quickly as he looked at her blushing face. It wasn't until he saw her eye twitch that he realized he may have done something wrong. "Um, did I do something wro-agh!" He received his answer in the form of Evangeline thrusting him into the pool.

_All of the girls finally let go of the breaths they were holding..._

"If you wanna discuss something with me then do it privately." Evangeline snapped before setting her sights on all of the staring girls. "What are all of you staring at?"

**"Nothing!"** They all answered quickly.

"Then get back to what you were doing!"

**"O-Okay!"**

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

**_...We'll just call this a scene divider..._**

**_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Here, dry yourself off." Evangeline tossed Negi a towel before taking a seat at the tea table she had set up beside the beach area. She snapped her fingers to summon one of the other maids to serve them since Chachamaru was busy with other things. "Gawd, you almost gave me a heart attack when you hugged me earlier." She groaned as she placed a hand upon her forehead. The last time she ever felt that way was when Nagi allowed her to spend the night with him for the second time. Of course that was a story for another time.

"I'm sorry, Eva" Negi apologized in embarrassment. "I guess I sort of got carried awa-"

"Your tea." A raven haired maid announced as she set the platter upon the table that held the tea set. She had long hair similar to the style Chachamaru was usually seen with, making them seem almost identical, however, there was a noticeable lack of emotion in her face as opposed to her green haired counterpart.

"Wait a second...you're not Chachamaru." Negi stated the obvious.

"True." She replied before walking away.

"What's wrong, Negi?" Evangeline asked, crossing her arms. "You didn't think that I just had one maid did you?"

"Well..." Negi felt dumb for even thinking that was the case. It would have been impossible for Chachamaru to keep the entire resort and the cabin in top condition so naturally there would be a need for more maids. Chachazero didn't seem capable of cutting the work either. "...I kind of did." Negi admitted sheepishly. "Where is Chachamaru anyway?"

"Who cares?" Chachazero quipped from the top of his head only to be ignored.

"Away." Was all Evangeline was willing to share.

"Where?" Negi pushed on.

"Don't worry about it." Evangeline replied. She reached for the teapot to serve herself and took a sip from her cup before asking, "So what was it that you wanted to tell me about?

"You wouldn't believe what I'm about to tell you." Negi shook his head.

"Just tell me." Evangeline rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it's nothing too shocking when compared to what I've seen already."

"You have to promise not to get too mad though..." Negi's words caused Evangeline to raise an eyebrow.

"...Now why would I need to do that?"

"Promise and you'll find out." Negi said innocently.

"I promise..." Evangeline flexed her fingers as she went on, "Not to kill you."

"Fair enough." Negi complied.

"So tell me what's up."

"Alright." _Alright...the trick to telling the truth is to keep on going against my best judgment._ Negi took a moment to breathe in and out a few times as he kept his eyes on Evangeline. He looked more like he was about to face her in the ring. _Okay, first let's talk about-_

_If you would rather do this telepathically then you should have told me._ Evangeline voice echoed within his mind chillingly. Apparently nothing was safe from her. _Just tell me what's on your mind, boya, so we can get over with it._

"Therearemorevampiresoncampusbesidesus!" Negi spoke so quickly that his words were barely made out.

"Whoa! What?!" Evangeline slammed her hands on the table in frustration. "Say it a little slower, stupid."

"There...are... more...vampires, "Negi noticed a change in his master's demeanor when he got that far, "...on...campus...besides...us." He finished.

_Dorothy...Dorothy already made her move on Negi, and I wasn't there to protect him. I'm gonna kill her, I'm gonna kill her, I'm gonna kill her! _Evangeline's shoulders started rising up and down as she tried to contain her building fury. "How the hell did you survive against her?!" Evangeline questioned him out of the blue.

"W-what?!" Negi shifted in his seat nervously when Evangeline got up and met him on his side of the table. _W-which one is she talking about?! There were so many!_

"This female vampire that you're talking about! She attacked you, didn't she?"

"Y-you mean, Dorothy?" Negi asked.

"YES, DOROTHY!" Evangeline nodded her head as she grabbed him by his shirt. _My gawd, they spoke to each other! What the hell did she tell him?! Did she tell him anything about me? I am going to strangle her to death next time I see her!_ "She attacked you, right?!"

"Yeah...sort of." Negi replied, feeling a bit more scared of Evangeline than anyone else at this point.

"Sort of?! What does that even mean?!"

"Well, she seemed more interested in kidnapping me." Negi answered, calming Evangeline down somewhat.

"And yet...you are here speaking with me?" Evangeline questioned curiously. _Was he actually able to fight her off? I didn't even realize that he was at that level yet. He's been holding out on me!_ "You bested her in a duel?" Her eagerness to hear his answer was almost bordering on child-like excitement.

"No." Negi answered timidly. "She could have killed me easily if she wanted to."

"...Then what happened?"

"Setsuna and Kaede saved me."

"...They saw her?" Evangeline hoped to god that his answer would be no even though that would be impossible considering tha-

"Not really." Negi answered.

"...What? How is that possible."

"I think she was possessing Chao-san's body." Negi said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"So she's capable of possession now..." Evangeline mumbled grimly. _That isn't too comforting, but then again that would really explain the boya's odd behavior during the tournament. I wonder how else she could manipulate such a forbidden skill. _

"What did you say?"

"Don't worry about. What I want to know is how the three of you escaped."

"I asked her to stop." Negi replied.

"And she stopped?"

"Well yeah...sort of." Negi replied, sounding a bit unsure of himself.

"Ugh, never mind." Evangeline groaned at her disciples inability to answer clearly. Shewalked back to her side of the table to grab her seat and pulled it so she could sit directly in front of Negi. "Look, I want you to listen very closely to what I'm going to tell you because it will save your life. I am an _"Elder" _class Dark Mistress."

"What is that?" Negi asked nervously.

"It means that I am at a rank that overrules any mistress, count, lord, Dark mistress or Dark count in existence." Evangeline explained. "That is of course, except for the legendary Dark count that even the mundanes know of, but his very existence at this point is in speculation. I'm not the only Dark mistress that holds such a high title, however, I am the one mistress that all others want the honor of killing."

"...I'm confused."

"Let's start from the basics then. There are lords, counts, and mistresses. Each of these three titles are only given to those who hold a great amount of power, whether it be in ability or influence. Those who receive those titles solely due to influence are wise enough to keep in line, however, those who are given such a title due to ability are know to wage duels for territory or vassals and other matters of business that isn't usually advised. This sort of behavior either leads to clan wars or judgment by the Elder Mistress that rules that region." Evangeline rolled her eyes briefly, "The latter is usually rare since we're so much more busy with our own matters or more interested in watching them kill themselves off."

"So you're really well known." Negi deducted.

"Yeah." Evangeline nodded. "Now, there is a title beyond mistress, which is respectively called, _"Dark Mistress"._ These infamous vampires are known to rule over powerful clans that that outclass normal vampires. It's kind of like a "God" class in a manner of speaking. This title is given to those in power of ability and influence meaning that they can control vampiric nations. Now, such a title isn't just assigned to anyone, which is why it is so hard to gain, however, there are other methods of gaining such a title besides receiving it from the _"Council"_. You can take it by claiming the life of another Dark Mistress. That leads to the inherent her title and her influence, and of course," Evangeline smirked, "If you were powerful enough to best her in a duel then you must be capable of standing toe-to-toe with other Dark Mistresses. The stronger the better."

"Ok..."

"Now the first _"Council"_ was disbanded because of the obvious corruption that had begun to form among their ranks. The Elders carried out their execution, however, a few centuries later a certain Dark mistress decided to take it upon herself to revive the council. All that opposed her her were killed or eventually submitted to her will in order to live." Evangeline explained. "I took it upon myself to weaken the extent of her control significantly, forcing the council to lay low for another opportunity to make their rise again. My actions had gained me admiration and loathing, which leads to my next point. You are my underling so you are essentially a marked man."

"Meaning?" Negi was not beginning to like where this was going.

"Dark Mistresses around the world would give anything to have you within their grasps. You hold my blood as a powerful day walker, and keeping you to themselves can lead to a few things."

"What would that be?"

"A powerful husband to rule by their side, giving birth to a powerful nation, luring me out so they can finally kill me or even worse..." Evangeline trailed off.

"Worse?" Negi began to sweat.

"They can force my whereabouts out of you and come to Mahora." Evangeline smirked almost amusedly. "That means that all of your precious students would be in danger. Now, this vampiress you fought with was, Dorothy Summers."

"A-A Dark mistress?" Negi went ahead of her.

"You're quick!" Evangeline grinned. "And if she happens to get her hands on you, gawd knows what might happen."

"How did she find out about me?! How did she find out about you?!"

"It's...complicated." Evangeline answered. "Now, was that all you wanted to tell me?"

"I,um, forgot what I wanted to talk about."

"Alright then. Since that's out the way," Evangeline held out her hand and a small ticket materialized with their names on it, "Do you know what this is, Negi?"

"It..." Negi squinted his eyes to look at it. "...It looks like a ticket with our names on it."

"Yes, it's a Demonic ticket. It forces the named person to go through with a promise." Evangeline smirked evilly. "If I use this then you'll have no choice but to spend the entire last day of the festival with me on a date doing whatever I want. Meaning, screw the rest of the plans you have because you'll be mine."

"Uh-"

**_Rrrrrip_...**

Evangeline confused Negi when she ripped the ticket. Why would she do that unless she wanted him to fulfill his promise to her? It wasn't that he would not go on a date with her, but he could not spend the entire day with her when there were other things he had to do. "But it looks like you're going to be busy on the last day of the festival so I'll let you slide this one time."

"Thank you, master." He bowed to her.

"What was that?" Evangeline closed one eyes.

"I-I mean, thank you, Eva."

"That's better, Negi. I'll see you later then." With that, Evangeline stood up and took her leave.

"...Eva..." Negi whispered her name before feeling a tap on his shoulder. "Um, yes?"

"Would you like some treats with your tea?" The maid from before asked politely.

"No, thank you."

* * *

_**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Later that night...**_

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_I was almost taken by a Dark Mistress..._Negi rolled to the left side of the small bed he lied on. _If she managed to do that then I would have never seen Mahora again..._ Negi rolled to the right with a light groan._ I could have put everyone here in danger just because I wasn't strong enough to defend myself. I could have ruined Eva's peaceful life._ Negi rolled onto his beck and looked about at the ceiling with Chachazero still tucked in his arms. The fact that she managed to stay asleep while he did all of his moving was a feat in itself. Now that he really thought about it, she was a puppet. Why would she need sleep anyway?

_Man, this is really bugging me. Dorothy is still out there waiting for me just looking for another opportunity to kidnap me, and I don't stand a chance of defending myself against her! Not only that, but she is in possession of Chao's body. ONE OF MY STUDENTS!_ Negi pounded his fist on his pillow with his free arm before calming himself. _Takane...my underling. Wow, I never thought that I would ever have one so quickly, and to make matters worse, I still haven't informed master about her._

"I can't sleep." Negi grumbled, sitting up in his bed. "I wonder if Eva is still awake." He thought aloud as he threw his legs along the side of the bed to stand up.

"Mas..ter?" Chachazero awakened from her slumber. "Why are you up?"

"I can't sleep." Negi answered her. "I'm going to go for a walk. Wanna come with?"

"You have to ask?" Chachazero replied.

"Then let's go." Negi grinned, heading out. When he left the room he took note of how quiet the halls were at this time. The only source of light were the candles that hung against the walls, burning softly. His steps echoed through the halls along with the soft running of water that played like a smooth serenade in the distance. He did his best to follow it to the source, but with every turn he took the sound didn't seem to get louder or die out, which could only mean that-

"I'm going in circles." Negi groaned. "This resort seems so much more fit to be a castle or a fortress."

"It is." Chachazero clarified for him.

"Really?" Negi quirked a brow.

"Make a left here." The puppet directed him, getting a, "Thanks."

The two left the quiet halls and ended up at a much larger setting with a red carpet leading up a short staircase to a entryway. Vases lined the way up to the entryway where another one of Evangeline's maids stood still. Actually by taking a closer look at her he realized that it was the same raven haired maid that served him and his master at the tea table earlier in the afternoon.

"Ah, Master Negi." The maid greeted him. "Good evening."

_Master? Why would she address me like that? _Negi puzzled at her greeting. "Um, what is this place?"

"Allow me to escort you inside." The maid told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "This way." She lead him through the entry way into a damp room filled with steam. It was hard to make out anything at all except for the pool that the steam rolled out from. "You're here to see the mistress, correct."

"Well, I would like to talk with her." Negi admitted. "By they way...where is Chachamaru?"

"You mean my younger sister?"

_Her younger sister? Chachamaru has sisters?_

"Um, sure..."

"I have no idea. My systems cannot get a trace on her tracker." The maid replied, letting go of his shoulder. "Mistress." She suddenly called out to the young magi's growing confusion. "Your underling is her to see you."

"She's in here?!" Negi blinked.

"Yes, right there." The maid directed his eyes to a nude girl running her hands through her long blonde hair.

"Oh geez!" Negi went completely red. "M-master, I am so sorry!"

"Hm?" Evangeline turned her head at the sound of her disciple's voice. "Negi?" Evangeline turned around completely to regard her underling. "Well, well, have you come her to take a bath with me? You are surprising me a little more every time we meet." She smiled at him, baring her fangs brilliantly. Needless to say this made Negi feel very uncomfortable.

"I-I actually just c-came to talk! Y-you know, discuss some things!" Negi told her, covering his eyes with his hands.

"A discussion, huh?" Evangeline questioned amusedly as she turned away from him. "Then why don't you come in and talk to me?" The way she offered made Negi feel shivers run down his spine. He didn't like how inviting she sounded.

"Wouldn't it be best to t-t-talk after you were done?" Negi offered in a stammer.

_**"Strip him."**_

The color drained from Negi's face, and he whipped around to find some more maids blocking the way out of the chamber. Before his mind could even register anything else he felt Chachaero get lifted off his shoulder before a pair of hands gripped his shirt and yank it off over his head while another pair raised his arms against his will. He tried to struggle, but two other maids ran to his side and lifted him off the floor while another blonde, short haired maid undid the button on his jean shorts and relieved him of them. The only thing left was his boxers.

"Don't you dare!" Chachazero yelled furiously as she flailed her arms to get free. "That's mine!"

_What's yours?! _Negi thought quickly, but his mind went completely scrambled when he felt the maid grab the waist line of his boxers.

"No, please don't!" Negi kicked his legs, laughing uncontrollably as the maids holding him tickled him so he wouldn't put up any more resistance. When he felt his boxers come off, his eyes went as wide as saucers before he was launched into the large bubbling spa that Evangeline awaited him in. He coughed up the water he swallowed after he made impact and shook his head get the water out of his face. He would have found it to be a mistake, however, since when he opened his eyes he came face to face with his master transformed in all of her wondrous glory. Naturally since she took on her older form it made the situation all the more intense.

"We're together now, Negi." She told him in a libidinous voice as she moved towards him quickly. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"E-Evangel..." Negi cleared his throat, doing his best to recompose himself, but having her so close made it rather difficult. "Evangeline, w-why are you doing this?"

"You came."

"You know what I mean!" Negi yelped when he felt her press herself against his back. She placed her hands upon his shoulders and massaged them lightly.

"Relax, huh?" She cooed to him. She noticed a bandage on his left arm and held it up to inspect it. _This must be a cut his suffered from the tournament, but why hasn't it healed? _"For you to force yourself not to heal this cut must have taken plenty of will power. I'm amazed." She told him, lowering her head so that she was talking into his ear. He winced when she peeled the bandage off slowly.

"What are you doing?" Negi asked nervously before feeling a ticklish sensation where his cut had been. He looked to the side to find her lapping up the blood that began to rise from the cut. The look of pleasure on her blushing face as she did made his cheeks burn.

"You're delicious, Negi." Evangeline commented between one of her licks. "I don't think I'll ever share you with anybody." She winked at him for a moment and teased, "Unless you want me to." She continued to clean the cut with her tongue, breathing out, "Exquisite.", when she was done. She leaned against him lazily and thew her arms over his chest. "You know, it's been so long since we've been together like this. Ever since the festival started, we've been pretty much apart."

"Have we?" Negi mused.

"I'll admit that I was just a little worried." Evangeline said softly.

"About what?" Negi went tense when she began running her hands along his chest.

"I thought something bad would happen to you." Evangeline answered him. "The campus isn't safe anymore. I'm sure you know that."

"Yeah." Negi took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Eva-chan." He spoke her name.

"Yes."

"I turned someone." Negi confessed.

"Oh?" Evangeline chuckled.

"That's all you're going to say?" Negi blinked.

"Well it was bound to happen." Evangeline said off handedly.

"B-but do you know who it is?" Negi asked anxiously.

"Of course I do." Evangeline answered. "Who do you think you're dealing with, Negi? I found out it was Ms. Goodman during the tournament. She was drawing energy from you as she took on her transformation. Only underlings have access to another vampires power reserve. We think of it as a crutch." Evangeline smirked, "Training wheels, you can even call it. The only reason I haven't done anything about it is because Gandolfini hasn't attempted to mess with you."

"Eva?"

"You're mine, Negi." Evangeline told him as she held him tighter. "I've never had much to call my own that really mattered, but now I do and it will take more than some child mistress, and a stubborn mage to take that away from me."

_Just her way of saying, I love you, I guess... _Negi thought with a blush.

_Take it how you will._ He heard Evangeline's voice in his mind as she turned his head so he could look into her eyes. _Just know who you belong to._ With that she released him and started heading out of the spa, giving Negi a good look at her backside. " All of you!" She called the attention of her maids. "Bathe him thoroughly and dress him." She took a towel from a maid that held it to her and dried her body before accepting a black robe from another. "If he's left alone he's more likely to just splash about."

"Yes mistress." They all complied in unison.

Negi could only watch as they surrounded him in the water. "...Oh boy..."

_**------------------------------------F---------------------------------------------------------------------------------V---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A--------------------------------**_

"You're looking rather handsome." Evangeline compliment her underling as he approached the table dressed in a white tuxedo.

"You're looking gorgeous yourself, Eva-chan." Negi complimented her, unable to keep his eyes from lingering upon her in her black, bare-back dress. The front of the dress was open as well to give him an elegant view of her cleavage and the beautiful necklace she had hanging from her neck . Such was the sort of dress expected of a temptress of darkness. When he took a seat one of the maids came by to open the wine bottle that had been left chilling in the ice, and served them both.

"Look how far we've come since the time we first met." Evangeline remarked before taking a sip of her wine. She noticed the look of hesitance on his face and giggled. "Go ahead, Negi. Try the wine, it's good."

"Fine." Negi nodded, taking a sip of it. He felt his insides begin to grow warm. "Um...", He cleared his throat, "That's great." He said in a raspy voice.

"Come on, master Negi." Chachazero poked his cheek. "Ain't nothin' to this drink."

"Whatever you say." Negi chuckled.

"So is there anything else you wish to discuss?" Evangeline asked, raising her drink to him.

"Well...I'm really worried about Chao." Negi said somberly.

"Over dinner?" Evangeline pouted. "How boring."

"It's just that even now...Dorothy has control over her body and I don't know what she scheming. Then there's the plan that Chao already has to reveal the world of magic."

"Alright then. If that's what you want." Evangeline smirked.

* * *

**_And now that the final day is within reach, my plan will finally be realized..._**

**_...This quaint campus will be consumed in a great trial for survival, and the darkling will be within my clutches as all is lost in the confusion..._**

**_You may have the upper hand when it comes to power, however, I will succeed in claiming what I have come for, Dark Evangel..._**

**_I will take that which you love so much and have it grant my own pleasures..._**

**_I will bring forth chaos upon your peaceful world..._**

**_...And all will know that I won..._**

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_And so another chapter to the story finally closes and opens the path for another to follow. I thank all of you for reading this story and for putting up with this author's long updates as of the last...five chapters. (Don't really remember anymore...) Now I will reward you all by finally closing the book in this series with the last chapter. I think that twenty-six chapters should be enough. I'd hate for the series to drag on._

_In the next chapter all hell will finally break loose on Mahora, and Negi will finally be able to face Dorothy in all of her vengeful glory, however, she will have many surprises in store that may very well catch even herself off guard. (You see what I mean when you read it) Chao will watch everything she has fought for come crashing down around her, and Evangeline will experience a challenge that may bring her back to the days of her past. Remember, this isn't really the end. This is merely the beginning of something even more complex, and I hope to leave you all on a mind blowing note...or something satisfying at the anyway..._

_Final Chapter:_

_**Fang Vice Addiction**_

_**Chapter Twenty-six: Standing the Test of Time **  
_

_Take care and Happy Holidays,_

_**Traingham...**_

_Wait a second...um..._

_It's time for **QUESTION TIME! **(I knew I was forgetting something...)_

_**Q:** "Is Makie going to get a "Dark Makie"?"_

_**A:** That might be an idea to explore in the sequel although it probably won't be a serious as Ako's dark chapter._

_**Q:**__"Just out of curiosity, is the "White Wings" even going to form with the current path?"_

_**A:** Something similar to that will exist in the second segment of the sequel. (After his "return")_

**_Q: _**_"Why are you dithering on the EvaxNegi shagging scene!! Your fans want it."_

_**A: **Then I won't disappoint you._

_**Q:**"__Are you going to dive further into Evas and Negis future more. I enjoyed the snippets of the future you added but seem to have stopped for some reason."_

_**A:** I can't give away too much so early._

_**Q:**_ _"Lastly the idea of Takane as a slave. Is she going to be like slave type a where she now obeys all his commands, seeks his opinion on everything etc or the slave that comes when she is needed."_

_**A:** She'll play a role similar to how Negi did at the beginning of the story, however, she will have a twist since she'll be searching the world for her master. (Due to Negi's leave from Mahora.) In the sequel we'll get more into that._

**_And that is the end of that..._**


	26. ACT I

_Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters…_

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

_**Chapter Twenty-six: Standing the Test of Time **_

_By Traingham_

* * *

**_-----------------------F-------------------------------------------V------------------------------------A-----------------------------_**

**_An unspoken wish lost within the motions of time...  
_**

**_------------------------F----------------------------------------V--------------------------------------------A-----------------------_**

The night before brought upon so many acts of mischief that a certain magister wanted nothing more to do than rest his head on his pillow without anyone to disturb his slumber. His desires required nothing demanding of his roommates who all shared the same suite he so graciously payed for by himself, however, it seemed that they were compelled to bother him regardless. Well, one of them at least, and in the case of this one person, he really could not do much to express his displeasure because her presence demanded love and care. This being noted; when Negi felt two tiny hands pull at his cheeks, he opted to do his best to ignore them and feign a few snores so they would simply leave him be, but this person was not ignorant when it came to his sleeping habits, and she knew that snoring was not one of them so the pulling continued and it was merciless. Finally, Negi opened his eyes reluctantly to take in the sight of a girl with blond hair that almost touched down to the floor, and gold eyes that sparkled with unspoken words of excitement at the sight of him awake. She looked to be about ten years old, but there was something about her face and the way her lips curled up into a subtle smirk that showed an intelligence, and cleverness well beyond her years. Surprisingly, the girl's presence left the young vampire in a slight state of unease, but he managed a friendly smile.

"Hey, princess." Negi greeted her. "You're up a bit early." He looked to the shades of his room and found them closed so that there was hardly any light coming inside. _Of course...she must have been planning to wake me up before so she must have closed them as I was sleeping. _The young magi grabbed hold of the covers and pulled them off of his body so he could sit up on his bed and yawn. His behavior elicited a light giggle from her, but when he looked to her the expression on her face was stoic. It made Negi wonder if the giggle had been something from his imagination. "I'm guessing that its breakfast you've woken me up for, right?"

"Naturally." The girl replied, placing her hands on her hips. "I'd do it myself, but I'm not completely familiar with the modern cooking methods."

"You need help?" Negi translated more as a way to mock her than anything else.

"Some assistance would be appreciated."

"You just had to say, yes." Negi narrowed his eyes in annoyance for a brief moment before he stood up and stretched with a yawn. It was pretty early so he didn't have to worry about running into Katherine again. Last time he found her prancing around in just a towel. She was munching on a slice of toasted white bread, and she claimed that she had no problem eating breakfast in such a state of undress. She claimed that she knew he was smarter than to try anything foolish. As much as Negi was already used to seeing the female body so untouched by clothing_(Life around the girls at Mahora and the Dark Mistresses will do that.)_, he still couldn't help but be embarrassed by the sight of a half naked woman. He had better get to business quickly before she decided to wake up.

"Zero-chan?" Negi looked to the bureau next to his bed to find his faithful familiar resting against the lamp. The sleeping puppet's green hair overshadowed her face as her head hung motionlessly. The young magi picked her up, cradling her in one arm, and lead the way out of the room with the girl following not far behind. As they approached the entry way of the kitchen, he heard Chachazero's eyes click open and grinned at her when she looked up to regard him. "Good morning." He greeted her.

"Mornin', master Negi." She greeted him back before pausing in intrigue. "But, why are we getting up so early anyway?"

"Well..." Negi trailed off, gesturing to the girl behind him with his eyes. Chachazero twisted around in his arm to look back at the _"princess"._ At the sight of her, hostile feelings gradually began to boil within the puppet. Since the time Negi met her in the forest, she had not taken a liking to her at all. There was just something about her that did not sit well with Chachazero, and if there was one thing about the puppet, it was that her feelings about a person were usually spot on.

_So the little brat woke master up? What the heck does she want from him at this hour? I thought she didn't like him. _Chachazero inwardly thought with suspicion. _I really wish master wasn't so damn nice to others. He just can't help but lend a hand to anyone in need...the same could go for Ms. Vampire Hunter. Why is she tagging along now? Argh! There are too many girls joining us! How am I supposed to seduce master if he'll be too busy paying attention to them?!_

Negi quirked a brow in amusement when he saw how distressed Chachazero was. He knew that she didn't like the fact that others were beginning to join them, but as much as he hated to admit it, he really liked the extra company. Sure, they were practically living off of him, but he really didn't mind that. Negi entered the kitchen, setting Chachazero down on the counter top, and spotted the box of strawberry pop tarts he bought for the cute vampiress. Over the time she was with him, he noticed that she had a taste for strawberries and this observation proved itself to be true when she asked him to buy her a box of the sugary treats.

"Alright," Nei started off as he lifted the box off from the counter to open it. He took out one of the silver sleeves that were inside and held it in front of the princess's face. A gleam of excitement appeared in her eyes as her tiny hands reached for the silver pack slowly, but Negi snatched it out of her reach before she could claim her prize. "Not so fast." Negi stopped her.

"H-huh?" She was snapped out of her daze, looking up at Negi in annoyance. "Why did you do that for?!"

"It'll be yummier if you toast it first." Negi explained to her in simple terms.

"Yummy...is a good thing, right?" She asked, looking rather confused. Although she was known to be quite serious most of the time, the look of innocence on her face as she tried to understand what Negi meant looked precious. Her eyes swiveled to meet the young magi's when she realized that he was staring at her, and she cocked her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes. "Yes?"

"Yeah..." Negi nodded with a sweat-drop. "I guess I need to keep you up with today's terminology."

"I have no need for such things." The chibi-vampire retorted, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Um, princess?" Negi called her attention, setting down the pop tart on on the counter top.

"Yes?"

"...How old are you anyway?"

"Wha-what?" A vein bulged on her forehead causing Negi to tense up. He'd already had more than enough unpleasant experiences with Evangeline to know that size doesn't matter when it comes to vampires, and depending on the true identity of this girl, she might be able to mop the floor with him. So far he could not detect her dark aura too well so she was either suppressing it or she was just as weak as her presence informed him. "Does that really matter?! Why would you want to know?"

_Well that reaction alone is enough to tell me that she's conscientious about it._ Negi thought to himself as he scratched his chin sheepishly. "Do you mind if I give it a shot myself?" He asked hopefully with a smile.

"Why is it important that you kn-"

"About a hundred years, maybe?" Negi's estimation cut her off.

"Gah..." The tiny vampire inwardly deflated. "Ah-"

"I'm right...right?" Negi asked making his familiar cackle.

"N-no!"

"So-"

"I don't remember agreeing to this!" The princess cried out, blushing. "All I asked for was breakfast! This is uncalled for!"

"Shhhh!" Negi shushed her. "Do you want to wake up that scary woman?!" Negi hissed at her in a whisper.

"That woman will do nothing to me." The little girl said with a grin. "She seems to direct most of her hostility towards you whenever something disturbs her."

"...Well." The magister began.

_Negi went rigid when he heard a doorknob turn in the distance followed by a door swinging open._

"Thanks a lot." Negi muttered. He heard the sound of feet pounding upon the carpeted floor, and blinked to find a raven haired woman leaning against the frame of the entryway to the kitchen. To his relief, she was adorned in her robe so the only thing that was slightly exposed was her ample breasts. Sometimes he wondered if she only did this sort of thing to bother him on purpose. Maybe she figured he would try something and she would get the chance to blow his head off; he wasn't sure, but he was going to ditch her whenever the opportunity decided to present itself. Then there was the possibility that a Dark mistress he was familiar with could be anywhere near the area, and if they happened to see him with Katherine, then there was no telling what would ensue. He'd been experienced with a jealous vampiress before and needless to say, it was dangerous; even more so when said vampiress commanded so much power.

"Seriously..." The lovely ex-inquisitor groaned as she ran a hand through her thick, black hair, "It's a bit early for this much noise. Don't you think so?" Her eyes met with Negi's, and she narrowed them imperceptibly.

"We apologize." Negi replied before looking to his fellow vampire. "Right, princess?"

"I have nothing to apologize to." The little vampiress said defiantly.

"Oh, is that so?" Katherine growled at the little girl as she leaned over to meet her at her level. This made the tiny vampire rush over to Negi's side and clutch his arm in a silent request for protection. This did not get the kind of reaction she wanted, however, as Negi simply turned his head to regard her and quirk an eyebrow curiously.

"You know, looking for protection from the person you got in trouble isn't exactly advised." Negi told her dully.

"I feel safer with you than with that evil woman." The _"Princess"_ explained to him childishly, causing a vein to bulge on the huntress's forehead. She straightened up again and placed her hands on her hips with a menacing smirk. Katherine had been through some very unusual experiences, but sharing a hotel suite with two vampires, and some living puppet was at the top of the list. To have such a silly conversation like the one at hand with those two vampires only made this experience all the more bizarre. Sure, Negi was different from all the others she met, but it still did not change the fact that he was one of the night dwellers that she was raised and trained to despise. This little girl that hung around him, however, sent her some odd vibes that did nothing short of disturb her. That, and she was a little brat to boot so that didn't help her case much.

"You just referred to me as "evil"?" Katherine questioned.

"Nyah." The girl stuck her tongue out at the older woman.

"You little-"

"Hey, hey!" Negi cut Katherine off before she could go on. "First of all, " Negi gave his little companion a stern look as he went on, "You have no reason to be giving Katherine trouble this early in the morning." His words were met with a glare from the little vampire, but it did nothing to bother him. "And you," Negi turned his head to regard the ex-inquisitor. At the tone he used to talk to her, Katherine placed a hand on her chest like a confused victim. "Aren't you a little old to be having a fight with a little girl?" Negi asked with a grin.

"Huh? What are you doing defending her?" The woman asked. "She annoys you too, doesn't she?"

"That is not the point here." Negi retorted. "The point is, I'm trying to toast some pop tarts here and your arguing is making that very difficult. Now, if you want to take my place and feed her-"

"I'm not taking food from her!"

"Hey!" Negi stopped the little girl. "As I was saying, I'm not going to have myself waking up for nothing, alright?"

"...Whatever." Katherine shrugged, scratching the back of her head. "I'm taking a shower. All of this killed my desire for sleep anyway." With that, Katherine turned away and headed for the bathroom. When both vampires heard the door slam shut, the princess unlatched herself from Negi's arm. They both looked at each other silently for a few minutes until the other blinked, and the vampiress crossed her arms, saying, "So are you going to feed me or what?"

_She's quick to change her attitude. _Negi inwardly thought, placing his hands behind his head. "If you keep up that attitude, I'll consider feeding you to that woman instead."

"Gah." The girl sweat-dropped nervously. "S-she can do that?!"

"Oh, you'll find out soon." Negi grinned deviously.

"It's about time!" Chachazero cried out proudly. "Even Master Negi has a sinister side!"

"D-don't do that!" She cried out in distress. "Anything but that! I want to live!"

"Whoa! C-calm down, huh?" Negi told her, crouching down to place his arms on her shoulders. "I was just kidding. She can't do that!" He smiled a her warmly and she merely stared at him silently with moist eyes. Apparently, she took him a little too seriously when he threatened her with such punishment. "Don't you remember my promise to you before?"

"...When we first met?"

"Yeah." Negi nodded.

"...Yes." Her expression slowly lightened up, and her lips twitched upward into a smile. "So..."

"So?" Negi trailed off for her to finish.

"Are you going to feed me?" Her words almost made Negi face fault, barely keeping his grip on her shoulders in the process. When she giggled at his reaction, he raised his head up slowly to regard her and mirrored the innocent smile on her lips. There was no winning this against her so he might as well submit to her wishes before she caused him any more trouble.

"Sure." Negi nodded, standing up straight again. "On one condition though."

"Yes?" She asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation for her treat.

"Tell me your name." Negi replied. "It's not that I mind calling you princess, but if we're going to be traveling together I should a least know your name."

She pouted at his condition and crossed her arms again defiantly. This almost drained Negi of his spirits, but she finally decided to speak.

"Very well. I will honor you with the permission of calling me by my name." She said almost royally. She placed one hand on her hips and the other on her chest; closing her eyes before she gave him the answer to her question. "My name is Dorothy Summers."

_...Huh? You can't be serious..._ Both Negi and Chachazero thought at the same time.

"But you may just call me, Dorothy." The tiny vampire finished. "Isn't that yummy?" Dorothy blinked when Negi stared at her with a look of complete disbelief on his face. "...Yummy is good...right?"

_Negi fainted._

"No?"

_**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Mahora Festival: Day Three (Final Segment)**_

_**-------------------------------------------F----------------------------V----------------------------A-----------------------------**_

The day that followed the sunrise was not unlike any other day at Mahora. The students walked around campus carrying their books in their arms, hanging around in their little cliques. The grounds were alive with the sounds of lively chatter. It was chatter of _Wizards_, _Dark Wizards_, and even _Vampires._ Yes, there was nothing odd about this day because it was no different from the last week. The world had been aware of the existence of magic since the fateful night that had taken place on the last day of the Mahora festival, and the magic ministry had gone into panic as the mundanes curiosity of the magic world had grown into something far too overwhelming for them to control. They now wanted to explore, and become part of their world; however, such ideas were far to dangerous to trust. The magical creatures were already showing negative responses to the ideas of mundanes entering their realm, and the mages weren't taking the idea of mundanes enriching themselves with their arts too well either. Wizards and magical clans who roamed the world of mundanes were unable to live peacefully with the media constantly trying to pry into their personal lives, and some of them were even harassed. The worlds were not ready for each other. What had been going on since that fateful night was unfortunate proof of this, however, those who were the cause of it all were not left unpunished...not those who were caught anyway.

* * *

**_"Nosferatu, Negi Springfield! You are under arrest!"_**

_What went wrong?_

_**"This is all your fault! If you had allowed me to apprehend , Lingshen, then this could have all been avoided!"**_

_Where did I go wrong? How was Chao able to get so far ahead of me in one night? _

_**"And to think that you were so weak! How could you allow yourself to be taken in by McDowell? Your father would be so disappointed, and to make matters worse, you laid a hand upon Ms. Goodman! I don't want to hear anything from you, Springfield!"**_

"There's nothing I can do now." Negi walked to the wall of the dark chamber he was sealed in and slumped against the wall, letting his head hang in despair. They relieved him of his ring, his staff, his pactio cards, and even his faithful familiar, Chachazero. He could still remember her mad protests as they forcefully separated them. The only thing he had at his disposal now was his natural vampiric abilities, but even then there was a voice in the back of his mind telling hi that it wouldn't be advised. The only thing they did not strip him of was the Cassiopeia, however, it was nothing more than a watch to him now. It's magical abilities were so faint that he couldn't get it to do anything for him.

"How are the other doing right now?" Negi's head suddenly whipped up in worry. If Gandolfini and the others came to apprehend him then it was only a matter of time before they came after his students. The rumors about his relationship with the girls were bound to get the mage's attention. _I knew that trying to hide Takane's vampirism was futile, but that doesn't explain how this all came about so fast. I wasn't even able to face Chao... _Negi felt shivers run down his spine as another woman came to mind. It was beginning to bother him that she had been so quiet as of lately. _More importantly...what is Dorothy up to? If what Eva says is true, then she won't give up until she has me in her clutches and her abilities almost match master's. Gandolfini and the others won't stand a chance unless they ally with Eva-chan, but with her reputation, they won't be willing to resort to anything like that._

Negi turned his attention to the door of the chamber when light started to pour in. The door started to rise open, and Negi stood up quickly to see who had come to meet him. It was hard for him to adjust to the light due to his nocturnal nature but he was able to make out a tall figure with spiked hair. When his eyes finally adjusted, he found Takamichi standing at the doorway with a hand in one pocket, and a cigarette in the other. By the usual mellow look on his face, he did not appear to be as angry as Gandolfini when they had met outside.

"Takamichi." Negi said the elder teacher's name in a relieved fashion. "What are you doing here?" The young magi asked before turning his head away slightly. "Have you come to scold me?"

"...Take a seat, Negi." Takamichi told the vampire as he motioned to the table near the back of the chamber with two seats. Negi felt his spirits fail him at his fellow teacher's words, and did as he was told, taking the seat that was facing away from the light so that it would not irritate him. Takamichi took the seat across from him and folded his hands upon the cold, glass table. The slivers of smoke that came from the burning tip of the cigarette held Negi's attention since it was becoming hard for him to look the other teacher in the eyes with each passing moment, but Takamichi seemed to notice this and remedied it by putting it out in his own hand and setting it down on the table.

"What did you wish to speak to me about, Takahata-sensei?" Negi asked shamefully.

"Don't sound so ashamed, Negi." Takamichi told him with a smile. "I know that all of this was not your fault."

"You...you do?" Negi looked up at him.

"Yeah, I do. Unfortunately, Gandolfini and the others are in so much panic about this that they don' want to hear a thing, They just want to get their hands on all the culprits before the ministry decides to punish them all for failing to keep the peace about magic." Takamichi explained with a sigh. He raised his hand up to his chin and allowed it to rest on them as he looked back at Negi. "The ministry is very unforgiving about these sort of things. It's only a matter of time before we're all turned into ermines."

"E-ermines?!" Negi's eyes bugged out at the image of himself resembling Chamo with the only difference being his red hair. He did not want to live life as a rodent! He was far too young to be put through such punishment. "I d-don't want that to happen!"

"Heh." Takamichi chuckled. "Don't worry about that, Negi. You're still very young so I doubt that they will be as severe with you."

"But w-what about you guys?!" Negi asked, his eyes almost welling up with unshed tears.

"It's too late now." The elder teacher replied.

"Will you at least tell me what happened?!" Negi pleaded. "How did this all happen so fast?"

"So fast?" Takamichi regarded him curiously. "...Hmm...what do you mean? You were there during the war on Mahora, weren't you?"

"A war? I don't remember anything like that happening." Negi replied, much to Takamichi's growing confusion, though his reaction could explain why he was not present during the events that had taken place during the final evening of the festival. "When I woke up this morning, everything was just as it was today. It was a complete jump from yesterday."

"...Well, I don't quite understand what happened to you, but I'll fill you in."

* * *

There was a loud ruckus in the woodland area that surrounded Evangeline's cabin as the battle raged on between Negi's students and the opposing mages that had come to arrest them. Spells ripped and engulfed the land in flames. Trees toppled over from the engagement that had taken place, and battle cries from the girls echoed like a chorus to the great deities above. This was all being watched by a certain blonde magistress, and her underling, Mei and their support, Megumi who had been sent to accompany them under the request of Akashi. She was a girl about Mei's age with dark hair, large circular glasses, and a black hat that complimented the dark matching outfit that she wore. While they were already supposed to be helping Toko, and Kataragi in their attempt to apprehend Asuna and the others, Takane did not seem to sit well with this. Her mind was elsewhere. 

"Onesan!" Mei called to the blonde young woman. "We need to get moving already!"

"Gandolfini is going to get angry at us, Ms. Goodman!" Megumi whined. "We can't afford to take any breaks!"

"Quiet down." Takane shot the raven-haired girl a frightening glare to silence her. The shadow mage crossed her arms, and looked up towards the sky in deep thought. "Somehow...I don't feel right doing this behind Negi-sensei's back." Takane muttered to herself. "Gawd, what am I going to do?"

"Onesan, I don't know what's going on in your head, but at this rate we'll all be turned into ermines!" Mei cried out, causing Megumi to go pale with fear.

"E-ermines?" The girl squeaked before throwing herself against Takane desperately to clutch her arm tightly. "I seriously don't like the sound of that! Can we please hurry it up and apprehend those criminals?!"

"Ahh, dammit." Takane cursed her disposition. On one hand she was about to carry out an order that would surely hurt her master, but on the other hand, she would be going against the orders that were given to her by Gandolfini. It was already far too late to change this for Negi since he was already apprehended earlier. _So this is what it comes down to? My master is taken in because of his relations to Dark Evangel, and I, his underling is free to go as a victim of his crimes to act against him? How shameful..._ "Very well...let's get this job done."

"Finally!" Mei let out the breath she was holding.

"Oh, thank gawd, she came to her senses." Megumi said in relief.

* * *

_**------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Back to Negi and Takamichi...**_

_**------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

After listening to Takamichi explain the whole situation that took place in the past, Negi explained his side of the story from the time he was dragged into protecting Chao at the world Tree plaza before the festival, and the story behind the Cassiopeia. All of this talk about time displacement bullets, and super crazy robots got the young magi going crazy. How was Chao able to prepare so many obstacles for the mages, and what even vexed Negi more was that the young woman was able to dominate Takamichi, although in "Death Specs" case, Mana took him out with a sniper shot while he hesitated in bringing the Chinese scientist down. With the lovely captain on Chao's side, things were sure to be quite difficult. The mere thought of facing her in a duel brought bad scenarios to mind. She scared him just as much as Evangeline did.

"I have a chance at changing things for the better, Takamichi! You believe me, don't you?!" Negi asked, rising up from his seat to slam his hands on the table.

"Of course I do." The elder mage nodded.

"Then you have to tell Gandolfini-sensei, and the others to let me go so-"

"No." Takamichi cut him off as he pulled out his box of cigarettes. He slipped out one of the sticks and placed it in his mouth before snapping his fingers to create a flame. When he was done lighting his cigarette, he stashed away the box in his front pocket again and took a drag of the stick before removing it from his mouth and sighing. "I'm not in the position to help you. Our judegemtn has already been passed."

"Is that...so?" Negi asked dejectedly as he fell back into his seat.

"Sorry." Takamichi apologized. A silence was shared between them after that last exchange until Negi looked up from the table again to ask, "Takamichi...you said that you hesitated at the last moment when you came face-to-face with Chao...right?"

"That's correct." Takamichi said with a nod. The way the older teacher's eyes cast downwards after he replied unsettled the young magi. Whatever the reason may have been for his hesitation at such a crucial moment; it must have been complicated. "It's obvious that Chao's actions around that time could not be approved, but...what she had in mind might have not been so...wrong." Takamichi placed his hand on his forehead as he spoke as though he was in deep concentration, finding the right words to say. "I'm sure you could say that your father would have had no opposition towards such ideas."

"W-what do you mean? Dad would have agreed with her plan?" Negi was at a loss for any other response. This conversation had just taken a turn he would have never been able to foresee.

"For someone like yourself who is aiming to become a magister magi, I think you know perfectly well how much conflict and poverty there is that fills the world. We work hard to save those people, and help them as best we can, however, our activities could only go so far before we reach our limits. In this world where magic has been exposed, we can now move freely, but it's not just that..." Takamichi's eyes took on an intensity that made Negi feel weak. "People can be saved by this as well."

"So th-then...what Chao is aiming for is to save the world after all!" Negi exclaimed in shock.

"No." Takamichi stopped his mind from accepting such a pure impression. "The world isn't that simple. Chao's plans are much more likely leading to a much selfish goal...however, it is true that at the end of her plan, there was a possibility that people could be saved by us doing nothing at all to prevent it." The elder mage's eyes softened again. "That is where I hesitated..."

"Then we can't possibly assume that Chao is wrong." Negi concluded.

"That isn't right either." Takamichi argued, standing up from his chair. "Even if Chao had a great cause for her actions, using force to carry out her plans does not justify them. There's always a better way so I personally believe that she is wrong."

"Then..." Negi clenched his hands into fist on the glass table. "...We should stop Chao after all?"

"I'll leave that decision up to you." Takamichi replied. "We have completely lost. After all, I don't think I have a right to say anything."

_...Where does Dorothy come in in all of this? Why did Chao ally herself with her in the first place? Could it possibly have been for the same reason that she decided to carry out this plan...but even so...does the fact that she was able to execute her plan mean that Dorothy was no longer possessing her or does it mean that Dorothy originally formulated this plan? How am I supposed to make such a decision if I'm still so lost in all of this?_ All Negi could do was stare back at Takamichi as his mind hit all of these dead ends. It was times like this that he wondered how different everything would have been if Evangeline had not turned him that fateful night so long ago.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to confuse you-" Takamichi stopped when he received a transmission on his ear piece. Negi was able to make out what the person over the transmission told Takamichi and started to panic.

_The girls are putting up a fight against the mages?! _Negi began to sweat just thinking about it. _What kinds of danger are they trying to get themselves into- **WHAT?!**_ Negi flinched when a heavy feeling suddenly rushed around him. From the way Takamichi kept on listening intently to the transmission, it seemed the he was not able to sense anything that the young magi felt. The light that was pouring in from outside of the cell started to get dim until finally, it had faded away completely.

"Wait a moment, Toko." Takamichi told the woman when he noticed the odd disappearance of light from the cell. He walked to he entryway to investigate but Negi cried out, "Get away from there!" By the time the words got out of his mouth a wave of darkness rushed into the chamber and slammed into Takamichi, sending him flying past Negi before crashing into the wall. The elder mage managed to get back to his feet after the surprising assault, but he could feel his legs shaking from the impact.

"Negi...get out of here!" Takamichi yelled.

"And leave you here?!" Negi protested defiantly. "Fat chance!"

"Don't be stupid!" Takamichi scolded him angrily.

_"You would be wise to leave, sensei. Negi only wants you to live."_ Came a voice from the darkness that Negi vaguely knew. It was the same voice that haunted his mind when his mind was being invaded in the past. That could only mean that she had finally come for him.

"...Dorothy...that is your name, isn't it?!" Negi demanded an answer.

_"How kind of you to remember, Negi." _Dorothy said, sounding genuinely grateful for it. In the midst of all the darkness a figure materialized, taking on the form of a tall woman with long blonde hair and a beautiful, pale face. Her majestic vampiric cloak flapped along with the cold wind that accompanied the darkness, revealing the long dark dress that was underneath it all, and when she opened her eyes, Negi was met with two gold orbs that twinkled back at him invitingly.

"Where is Chao-san?!"

"Oh, her?" Dorothy questioned casually. " She's fine. I just reunited her with her dear mother."

"...You mean she's back in the future?" Negi asked, oblivious to what she truly meant by her words.

"You could say that." Dorothy lied.

"...You're here for me...aren't you?" Negi asked, feeling himself tremble lightly.

"Good guess." Dorothy grinned at him.

_**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

"Onesan?" Mei turned around to regard Takane when the blonde magistress suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. "Why are you stalling for?! We can't just let them get away!" The red-head was still reeling from having her mind infiltrated by Nodoka. The battle was pretty much one-sided with the sloppy way that Takane decided to fight. Her attention seemed to be elsewhere while they were in the heat of the engagement so Asuan and the others had it easy.

"Oh, no!" Megumi let her head droop. "Not again."

_Master...Negi. It feels as if there's something wrong..._Takane thought to herself in worry. She had been getting the feeling that something was up since they came in contact with Negi's students. "Has something happened?"

_**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** _

"Could you at least tell me why?"

"My reason?" Dorothy questioned, blinking a few times. Negi nodded, and what followed was a long silence that left the gradually recovering Takamichi and Negi waiting impatiently for an answer. The dark mistress actually seemed to be troubled by the question Negi asked her. "I find that my reason for desiring you tends to change every now and then."

"...Huh?" Negi deflated after hearing such an answer. He wondered if she was even serious at this point. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, something is happening to me even as we speak, my dear." Dorothy smirked mischievously. "Perhaps things are even changing for you as well."

"What are you talking about?!" Takamichi demanded.

"Ugh." Dorothy's expression turned to disgust when she heard the older mage speak. She pointed an open hand in his direction and dark energies started to build in the palm of her hand. "You should have made your leave by now, human." She was about to unleash the spell upon Takamichi but Negi cried out for her to stop before she was able to do anything. Surprisingly, Dorothy hesitated after hearing him, and lowered her hand slowly. "...As you wish." She grumbled in a disapproving fashion.

_She listened again?_ Negi thought in confusion. She had done the same thing when the girls made their unexpected appearance at the towers last time he confronted her. "Why?"

"Excuse me?" Dorothy asked, turning her attention back to the young magi. "Why what?"

"You listened...why?"

"Oh..." A light blush appeared on the dark mistress's cheeks for a moment as she cleared her throat. "W-well, would you have rather had me kill him?"

"O-of course not!" Negi replied quickly. _From the way Evangeline described her to me...I'd expect her to be completely merciless. She doesn't even seem to be that...evil._

"To kill him would decrease my chances at having you join me, of course." Dorothy explained bluntly.

_...Never mind..._ Negi shook his head in disappointment.

"So let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Regardless of what you do, I won't be swayed to join you!"

"Are you a fool?" Dorothy asked him, taking steps towards him. "It's far too late to do anything now. Your only way out of here is with me. Otherwise you'll be turned into a rodent." She smirked when she saw some hesitation in the young magi. "Am I right?"

"...No!" Negi retorted. "There's still a chance." He pulled the Cassiopeia out of his pocket and squeezed it tightly.

"You're going to rely on the time machine?"

"Huh?" Negi began to sweat after hearing that. "How did you know about it?"

"I know about a lot, Negi." Dorothy chuckled darkly. "I also know that the little contraption is useless to you now. Surrender yourself before I decide to take you by force."

"Then I'm afraid that's the only way you'll succeed." Negi challenged her. He pocketed the Cassiopeia and assumed a stance. "No matter what you say..." Negi clenched both of his hands into fist tightly. "I'm going to find a way to stop all of this from happening." At his words Dorothy stifled a laugh before bursting out uncontrollably. She hugged her sides and threw her head back.

"You just don't realize the odds you're up against, do you?!" A whirlwind of darkness gradually whipped up around her feet. "I love you for your determination, but in the face of a dark mistress it amounts to nothing unless you can back it up." Her eyes burned brightly and the whirlwind started going out of control. "I'll satisfy you though. Let's see how well you fair against me!"

**_CHOOM!_**

_"What the hell?"_ Dorothy whipped her head in Takamichi's direction when a pillar of white-hot energy sizzled past her head.

"Negi!" Takamichi called to him. "If you feel that you have a chance then I'll give it to you!"

"What do you mean?!" Negi asked.

"The message I received before told me that your students are heading here!" The elder mage slammed his hands together and prepared to attack Dorothy a second time. "I'm sure you'll find a way back if you want to. This is the only thing I can do now." Takamichi grinned. "Besides...they can't blame me if you escaped while I was busy fighting off a dark wizard, could they?"

_...Thanks..._ Negi nodded to Takamichi and preformed a shundo to get past Dorothy before she could try and stop him. Another beam of light came gunning for Dorothy the moment Negi left the room and the dark mistress materialized a void of darkness before her to absorb the attack before another void appeared above Takamichi. The elder mage was quick to catch on and quickly kicked off from the wall to send himself flying away before the beam shot out from the void and created a crater where he once stood. He could already tell by that counter attack that this woman was way out of his league. She managed to turn one of his strongest techniques against him.

"Not very impressive." Dorothy taunted him. "I'd already seen that during the tournament. Don't you have any more tricks to show me?"

"So you were the presence that I felt when I was dueling Negi." Takamichi deducted.

"That would be correct." Dorothy nodded. "Now, there is no time for talk. Come at me so I can end this."

"By the time you've finished me, Negi will be gone by then."

"Oh, silly man." Dorothy cooed, grinning deviously. "Do you truly believe that I'm limited by time?" Her question made Takamichi's eyes go wide with horror. If what she was implying was the truth, then that meant that Negi wasn't safe from her anywhere. He was useless to Negi this way. The dark mistress saw the change in the elder mage's demeanor and smiled sadistically. She could tell that the realization had finally struck the man, but what she didn't count on was the smirk that crossed his lips as he raised his head to look back at her. The large tablet that was against the wall, holding the inscriptions, that even now were weakening at the immense use of magic that had been circulating despite it's nullification properties, started to crack.

"Alright then." Takamichi straightened himself and released the limits he placed upon himself. The floor at his feet split in two, and the large tablet exploded into chunks of charmed rock. The former crimson wing member dropped into a stance and said, "If stalling you won't be enough to ensure Negi's safety then I will do all in my power to make sure that you're unable to leave."

Dorothy looked on with narrowed eyes at the changed man before her. She knew of his past with Nagi and the "Crimson Wings", but she never planned on him being this powerful. He might actually have a chance at carrying out what he intended. "If you wish to go out in one final duel then I will not deprive you of what you wish, however, don't get your hopes high for all you are to me is a mere stepping stone in getting what I desire. Now, prepare yourself my beloved adversary! You will do well to start me off as a warm up before my true battle!"

_**SKREEEOOooooow!**_

An explosion erupted forth from the hall behind Negi, sending chunks of rock and debri heading his way. The young magi did a shundo to get ahead of it all but as soon as he reached a distance, he was engulfed by all the destruction. He felt sharp edges cut through his skin and large chunks bludgeon him. By the time it was all over, Negi was nothing more than a fallen form imprisoned in pounds of rock. His regeneration abilities started to kick in quick, but every time he moved he felt something sharp cut through his side. "Ungh." Negi groaned sharply when he felt the sharp edge slice through his flesh. He found himself stuck in a bad position. "Takamichi...has he really engaged Dorothy in a duel?" Negi whispered painfully. There was a muffled explosion from the blockade of rocks behind him and the entire tunnel of rubble was pushed forwards by the force of the explosion. The force caused Negi to be launched forward with everything pinning him down, allowing the sharp edge to cut through the left side of his body entirely!

"AHHHHH!" Negi shrieked, blood and tears welling in his eyes. He took in a few sharp breaths to stifle the screams the threatened to follow, but as his regeneration kicked in again the pain became unbearable. "AAAAAAAAAGH...G-god da-AHHHGH!" Negi released his final scream before falling limp. He could feel his consciousness escaping him as he felt warmth trickle along his arm. He opened one eye to regard what was causing his skin such warmth and found his own blood trailing down his arm in a thick, red line. It formed little globs around the tips of his fingers and dripped rhythmically. "Eva...Chao..." Negi's felt his eyes growing heavy. "...Takane..."

_Master?! _Takane came to an abrupt halt and the girls behind her did the same, all bumping into each other in the process.

"What is it, Goodman? Why did you suddenly stop?" Asuna asked, feeling a bit unnerved by the blonde maigtress's odd behavior.

"Is it another enemy?" Setsuna asked, keeping a steady hand on the blade at her side. The cold ring of the blade sliding open against it's sheath was heard as the young woman prepared herself. After finding themselves facing a fearsome illusion of Takamichi because of the abilities of a mere kindergartener, Setsuna was not about to let herself guard fall down again.

"Come on, onesan!" Mei said impatiently. "Tell us already!"

"If we waste anymore time, Negi might get closer to being turned into an ermine!" Konoka riled on.

"Ma...Negi is close." Takane informed them.

"H-he is?!" Nodoka asked excitedly.

"Calm yourself." Yue told her, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Let's hurry!" Takane suddenly cried out. She took off running, and the girls followed quickly, but the farther they ventured into the dark halls, the faster Takane seemed to get. The only people who managed to keep sight of the young woman was Setsuna, and Konoka, although in her case, she was being carried.

_She didn't exhibit such speed in any of her matched during the tournament. _Setsuna observed, narrowing her eyes in concentration. _How is it that she is gaining so many abilities in such short time? It took Negi-sensei months to ever reach my speed, and that was only possible through his arduous training under Evangeline-san. _The samurai found it hard to contemplate such things as Takane seemed to forget that they were ever following her, disappearing around the corner of another intersection in the halls. It was becoming a maze to the girls.

"Dammit." Setsuna came to a stop when she found herself completely lost from Takane's trail, and set Konoka down from her arms. The healing mage tried to regain her balance after being so dizzy from the numbing speed of her guardian's glid. The other girls finally managed to catch up with her and came to a halt as well, huffing in fatigue with the exception of Yue, Nodoka, and Haruna since the stoic librarian had them riding on her broom. Mei, and Megumi looked at the three librarians enviously. It was hard to believe that Yue managed to learn how to fly on her broom before they did.

"So you lost her?" Asuna asked as she set Chisame down. The net idol patted herself down and managed her hair from the high speed chase.

_I can't be doing this sort of stuff all the time._ Chisame inwardly groaned. "So she's planning on bringing him back on her own?"

"It would seem so..." Setsuna replied. _It was her worry for Negi, after all, which brought her over to our side in the first place. I wonder...how it is that they had gotten so close in the time they had known each other. _A smirk played upon her lips for a fleeting moment as she came to a simple conclusion. _Perhaps it's because Negi is...Negi._

"Negi!" Takane cried out, keeping a steady pace. "Can you hear me?! Can you at least call out to me?!" The shadow-user grew frantic as the smell of his blood struck her nostrils. She was caught between hunger and worry at the scent of her master's blood; hunger for obvious reasons since she was now a nocturnal, and worry at what may have been the cause for his own blood shed. Was he hurt? Was he in desperate need of help? At this point the young woman did not even bother to look over her shoulder to check if the others were following behind her. All she knew was that she had to reach her master quickly.

"Call out to me, dammit!" Takane yelled in frustration. She turned around another corner, and sneezed. There were particles of dust and soot in the air. There were cracks along the walls of the hall she traveled as well. "What happened her..." Takane came to a dead stop at the sight that had appeared before her eyes. There rest of tha hall was completely destroyed. All that was left before her was rubble, worn beams of metal and...blood? Where was the blood coming from?

"What is-" Takane gasped when she saw an arm leading to the upper body of a person sticking out from the rubble, and a dusty mop of hair overshadowing any view of the person's face. The sight of a red strand, and the familar scent of their blood immediately told Takane who the individual was. "Master!" She rushed to him and fell to her knees. Her first instinct was to hold his head against her chest as she tried to soothe him, running her hand against his dirty mane of red hair. "Talk to me...please...talk to-oh!" She let go of him quickly and stood up to free him of the rocks pinning him down. She tossed the ones on top of him to the side and worked her way further to relieve him of the rubble that was pinning his legs down, all the while chanting, "You're not gone yet, you're not gone yet, you're not gone yet."

"Who..." Takane whipped her head back at the sound of his voice. She worked faster to get the rocks off of him and rushed back to his side, holding him up in her arms. The bleeding had apparently stopped a long time ago but the entire left side of his suit was torn open. Negi opened his eyes to regard her faintly and offered her a smile. "Takane...you came for me?"

"What ever made you place any doubt in me, retard?" Takane asked, sounding more offended than worried about his well being.

"I'm sorry...about that."

"That's alright." She told him quickly. "Tell me...can you move?"

"I'm finding it kind...of hard at the moment." Negi admitted after a few attempts. The best he got was a twitch from the fingers of his right hand. Every other part of his body felt numb.

_That's no good. I can't bring him to his students like this. _Takane inwardly told herself. She shook her head in frustration and looked back at him, asking, "Can't you heal yourself? You're a vampire, aren't you?"

"I figured that might do it, but I think that I've already lost...too much blood." Negi let his head fll to the side for a moment. _I'm not as good at this regenerating stuff as Eva-chan is. Master would scowl down at me if she saw me this way. I guess I should be happy that she didn't come here for me._

_So how am I supposed to..._Takane stopped when something struck her. _...But could it possibly work? _Takane held Negi up a little higher and rested his head against her shoulder. Her actions cerved to confuse the young magi as she wrapped one arm around his waist and the other around his back to support him. It did not look like she was about to carry him off. It seemed more like an embrace than anything else.

"Takane?" Negi said her name in a questioning manner. "What are you doing?"

"Bite me." Takane commanded him.

"How is that-"

"Don't question me, please." Takane cut him off, looking to the side as a heavy blush blossomed on her face. She could vaguely remember the sensation that coursed through her body the last time he bit her neck. It was so overwhelming that she could not work the nerve to think. She inwardly felt guilty for thinking about her own pleasures as opposed to Negi's health. "I'm not sure if it will work, but...you'll have to trust me on this."

"...Alright." Negi finally submitted after a long moment of silence. He raised his head from her shoulder and looked at her neck. The more he stared at it, the more he could swear that her pulse was clear in his ears. His hesitation melted away when his vampiric side got the best of him and he bared his fangs before plunging them into Takane's neck. She let out a gasp when she felt the sharp pain, but it was quickly replaced when he began to suck her blood. Her hands gripped him and her legs began to tremble as the pleasurable sensation got stronger and spread throughout her entire body. Her cheeks burned even hotter when the young vampire gradually felt the strength returning in his body and worked his arms around her frame to hold her.

"A-Ah." Takane gasped again, a small smile crossing her lips as she squeezed both of her legs together-and it stopped. Takane blinked a few times when the feeling suddenly left her, and she turned to the side to find that Negi had retracted away from her. "Um-" Takane placed her hand on her neck to wipe away the left over blood. "-So that's al-I mean, you're fine now?"

Negi cleared his throat after hearing her question and did his best to pace his breathing. "T-thanks, Takane. You were right." He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at her. "It did work."

"I'm, uh, glad to hear that." Takane nodded almost sagely.

"Yeah..." Negi said awkwardly.

_Silence..._

"I think you pinched me while I was-"

"Y-yeah, I'm sorry about that." Takane cut him off quickly. They made eye contact for a few seconds before turning away in embarrassment, but Takane realized the time they were wasting and stood up from the rubble quickly. "Ahem. We need to get moving, Negi."

"Right!" Negi sprang up from the rubble as well, and Takane took his hand to pull him along, but he stopped her before she could start moving.

"What is it?" Takane asked.

"They confiscated Chacha-chan from me!" Negi told her. "Do you know where they keep everything?"

"...Sure." Takane answered him dully. The very mention of the sadistic puppet usually had that sort of effect on her.

* * *

"MASTER!" Chachazero flailed her arms at the sight of Negi when Takane opened the door to the room for him. Negi rushed to her and picked her up from the desk to hold him against her tightly. "I thought they were gonna turn you into an ermine!" 

"I thought they were too." Negi told his familiar soothingly. _Takamichi...I'll be sure to prevent all of this from happening. I promise. _

"So what do we do from here, Negi-kun?" Setsuna asked, stepping past Takane to enter the room with Asuna.

"We're not sure how long Kaede, and Ku-fei can hold the other mages off." Asuna explained with her arms crossed. "We need to get moving fast or they'll catch up."

"Alright." Negi placed Chachazero on his head and reached for his staff. "How long ago did the festival take place, Takane?"

"A week." The blonde magistress replied. "What are you planning?"

"You're going to use the watch, aren't you?" Asuna aked.

"Yeah." Negi replied as he placed his pactio cards into the inside pocket of his jacket...or what was left of it anyway. He pulled the Cassiopeia out of his pants pocket and held it before his eyes from it's chain. The watch dangled without any life. It's magic supply had been cut off. "Now...I need to find a way to get it working again. It worked perfectly well during the festival so why won't it work now?"

"It uses magic, doesn't it?" Chachazero inquired.

"Yeah." Negi replied.

"So won't it work around the world tree then?" The puppet suggested.

"The festival was a week ago." Takane retorted. "The world tree's power should have faded away by now."

"Well, do you have any bright idea's, genius?" Chachazero growled at the blonde magistress. "If so, then please share." At her challenge, Takane could only look away. There really was no other option since the maker of the watch was gone, and leaving the headquarters would probably be unwise as well.

"If you think it'll work then there should be a passage to the World Tree from here." Takane informed Negi. "When we reach it, we'll see if that puppet's plan will work."

"Then we better hurry." Negi said with a nod. He tightened his staff to his back and lead the way out of the room to meet the other girls outside in the hallway.

"So what's the plan?" Chisame asked.

"We're heading back to the final day of the festival." Negi answered her. "But we need to hurry back to the World Tree first." He turned to Takane and said, "You'll lead the way, right?"

"Of course, Negi." Takane said with a slight bow of her head.

"Let's change history then." Setsuna said with a smirk.

"Alright." Asuna grinned.

"Sounds exciting." Haruna said giddily.

"We'd best get moving before Toko, and Kataragi catches up!" Mei alerted them before they all heard an explosion in the distance. It sounded as though it came from the direction that Takane found Negi pinned down under all the rubble earlier.

Megumi gasped. "Oh no, they're already here!" She whined.

"No." Setsuna silenced the whining girl sharply. "They wouldn't make so much noise if they wanted to apprehend us."

_"Negi! Where are you?!" _A worried voice echoed through the halls.

"A friend?" Nodoka asked the young teacher. "Was there anybody else with you earlier?" The timid librarian asked him.

"That's no friend!" Negi alerted the girls before turning back to Takane. "We need to get going NOW!" The urgency in his words made the blonde magistress flinch.

_That must mean that she's beaten Takamichi..._

"Who is that, Negi-kun?" Setsuna asked, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword, but Negi placed his hand on her hand before she could unsheath it and shook his head.

"We're not fighting. We just need to get moving." When the swordsman nodded, Negi had the other girls start running with Takane taking the lead. When he was sure that they were all in front of him, he took the rear. He heard the dark mistress approaching in the distance from the rumbling that grew louder as she advanced through the halls and his heart beat accelerated. He could tell that the other girls could hear it too because they increased their pace dramatically.

_"Negi!"_ Dorothy's voice got louder.

"Hurry up!" Negi yelled at his students.

_"Negi!"_ It got louder.

"Are we almost there?!" Negi yelled out to Takane desperately.

"Just a little further!" Takane yelled back at him.

_"I can feel you, Negi!" _By now the mistress must have almost been around the last corner.

"Go ahead!" Negi told the others. "I'll try to stall her!"

"But you have the watch!" Asuna protested.

"Here!" Negi tossed the watch to the red-head, and Asuna caught it.

"Just get there quickly! I'll catch up!" Negi told her.

Asuna kept her head turned, staring back at Negi as she continued to run before finally turning away, screaming, "Dammit, Negi! Why are you always doing this to me?!"

"Just trust m-"

"Found you!" Dorothy's voice rang to Negi. The young magi whipped his head around to find the dark mistress gliding towards him with a smirk on her lovely face. "Did you think this was going to be so easy?!"

"Not in the least!" Negi replied as he turned on his heel. He sent two saggita shots flying towards her and the mistress reacted quickly, dodging them before rushing forward to capture him in her arms. He ducked under her arms quickly and rushed in with an elbow assault that caught her dead in the stomach. She staggered back two steps from the attack, but Negi got pulled along with her. It was then that he realized that her stomach was gradually pulling him into her.

"H-huh?!" Negi pulled away quickly and managed to get free. "What is your body made of?!"

"No need to ask, Negi. You'll soon come to understand it quite intimately!" Dorothy answered, rushing forward to get a hold of him but Negi decided to make a run for it. "Run, young fledgling! I will have you regardless of how long you elude me!" She laughed maniacally as she pursued him. Two tentacles came lashing out from her back and came after Negi at top speed. The first one went for Negi's mid-section, but the young magi preformed a shundo to avoid the bind. The second went for his legs only to have Negi jump over them and continue his run forward. Dorothy created more tentacles and had them burrow into the walls and floor before they burst out from all sides in front the fleeing young magi. He quickly reacted to her tactic with his staff, taking it in both hands and twirling it for some momentum before slicing the wriggling tentacles in his way.

"She's aggressive!" Chachazero remarked in fascination. "I wonder why she wants you so badly!"

"I seriously don't want to know!" Negi answered, sprinting with all his might. Before long the two vampires found themselves in a large dome with an open roof. If Negi didn't know any better, he would have believed they had entered an area nearby library island. He spotted enormous roots burrowed in the walls and the floor around them. They must have been very close to the World tree by now. "How am I going to stop her from following me to the others? At this rate, I'll be putting the other girls in danger by meeting with them!"

"It looks like you're going to have to confront her, Master Negi!"

_You can't be serious!_ Negi inwardly groaned. _But I guess I really don't have a choice!_ He surprised Dorothy by coming to a halt, and turning to face her. The dark mistress smiled at his sudden boldness and came to a halt as well. Her dark tentacles retracted back into her body as she crossed her arms.

"You've decided to accept your fate?" Dorothy asked.

"Far from it." Negi answered her much to her building annoyance.

"So stubborn..." Dorothy said with a groan as she placed her right hand on her forehead. "As always."

"Tell me what's going on here!" Negi demanded. "What are you planni-"

_**GRRRRAAAAH!**_

_Negi and Dorothy went completely stiff before they slowly turned their heads to regard the source of the ferocious roar. _

_**RAAAAGH!**_

_Mucus and saliva came their way, covering their clothes and slapping their faces._

"Not you again..." Negi's voice quivered at the sight of the awe inspiring wyvern that stood before them. It flapped it's majestic wings and looked down upon the two of them with cold, white eyes. Everything about the creature was simply intimidating from it's rows of razor sharp teeth to the bulging muscles that were packed around its large body. It was truly was not a beast to reckon with.

"...What is that doing here?" Dorothy did her best to mask her shock.

"It's just...here...I guess." Negi explained as best he could. He regained his wits quickly and turned to the dark mistress. "Dorothy!"

"What?" The Mistress asked, regarding him with a quizzical expression.

"We're going to have to attack it at the same time!"

"T-together?!" Dorothy stammered. _You mean...we're going to work together on this?! Has the past events totally slipped his mind? _The mistress shook away such thoughts and nodded to the young magi before turning back to face the wyvern. The large beast seemed to be waiting for them to make a move before it would strike. "We'll attack it with a volley of dark arrows. I'm sure that Mistress McDowell has taught you such a simple spell, right?"

"Right." Negi answered her.

"Then let's get to it!" The mistress signaled him.

Both of them started the incantation within their minds as their hands crackled with dark energies, but just before Negi could unleash the fury of his spell, Chachazero smacked his forehead as hard as she could to break her concentration.

"Aiee!" Negi cried out from the stinging smack. "Chacha- I mean, what the-"

"Just watch, master!" Chachazero shushed him.

"Hyaaa!" Dorothy cried out as her arrows launched at the winged fiend. The wyvern staggered back on its two legs with each arrow that struck its face in a dazzling display of dark blazes, however, when it was all over the beast looked more furious than anything else.

"Now, make a run for it!" Chachazero cried out to Negi.

"Wait!" Dorothy reached out for Negi as he made a dash to meet the girls, but the wyvern stepped in her way. "What...bu-" Dorothy shook her head and clenched her fists tightly before flailing her arms furiously. "Y-you tricked me!"

_**GRAAAAGH!**_

_Ugh! It's like every time I come close to having him within my clutches, obstacles just get in my way and let him escape!_

"Sucker!" Chachazero cackled as her master rushed through the passageway that the others entered.

"She's mad as it is!" Negi scolded his familiar. "You want her to get her furious?!"

"Hey, she deserved it." Chachazero reasoned. "Besides, why do you care about her feelings?"

"...I don't know...exactly." Negi answered after taking a moment to think that one over. He ended the conversation when he realized that the walls had taken on an odd glimmer. He could sense the magic energy flowing through him as he ventured further into the glowing tunnel before entering an open area that lead him on to a catwalk leading to a circular platform in the center. He was in awe that something so large existed in Mahora, but then again, the campus did have it's secrets. "We must be very close to the core of the World Tree!" The young magi heard a ferocious roar followed by a loud impact and his relief gradually began to leave him. Unless Dorothy had been thrown hard enough to cause an impact that loud, he wasn't really sure if the wyvern caused as good as a distraction as his familiar intended it to.

_No, don't let it get to you. Just keep on moving forward and she won't be able to catch up on time. _Negi did his best to convince himself. His confidence was boosted even further when he saw the girls in the distance. "Hey!" He waved to them.

"Negi!" Asuna called out to him when she saw him approaching. "It looks like it's working now!"

"See! I told ya!" Chachazero tapped Negi on the head.

"That's my girl!" Negi praised her affectionately.

"Heh, heh."

"Let's get going already!" Takane said agitatedly when she saw the little moment shared between the young magi and his familiar. The blonde magistress already looked quite impatient from waiting for him to arrive. The worry was clear on her face. Nodoka, Mei, and Yue didn't seem so well either. Konoka, and Haruna on the other hand looked completely light of the situation.

_Jealous bitch. _The sadistic puppet thought to herself triumphantly. _Zero; one. Goodman; zip._

"Asuna, hand me the Cassiopeia!" Negi told the red-head, holding out his hand to get it.

"Here!" Asuna tossed it to him, and he caught it before standing in the center of the group.

"Everyone hold hands!" Negi directed them as he held on to Setsuna's extended hand.

**_"Alright!"_** The girls chimed.

_I hope this works. _Negi inwardly prayed before he activated the time machine.

"Negi Springfield!" Dorothy's voice rumbled menacingly.

"It's too late for her to reach us..." Negi died out in mid-sentence when the world around them was consumed in light. It was much different from the way the Cassiopeia usually began it's time travel. He felt his body become gradually lighter until he realized that he was disappearing along with the rest of the girls. "Whatever you girls do, don't let go!"

**_"WAAAAAAAAAH!"_**

**_-----------------------------------------F----------------------------------------------------------------V--------------------------------------------------------------------A---------------------------------------------------_**

**_Intermission...  
_**

**_----------------------------------------F----------------------------------------------------------------V--------------------------------------------------------------------A----------------------------------------------------_**

**_"Dark Evangel" Segment..._**

_**----------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

Three tall figures stood before the entrance of an enormous, snow covered palace. It looked intimidating with it's dark appearance, standing upon the top of a mountain that overshadowed the city below. It was a likely choice for a nocturnal to designate as their headquarters, though this must have been a well known fact for those who lived at the base of the mountain. The only explanation for the military remaining ignorant of their activities was probably out of fear of incurring the dark mistresses wrath. An army of soldiers coming up against a palace filled with vampires was like supplying them with fresh meat and possible mates for an expansion in their bloodline. Every few decades or so a promising hunter might make their rise and attempt to put a stop to nocturnal affairs, however, the sad truth remained that the only possibility of slaying a dark count or mistress was to hire an elite wizard_ (Ex. Thousand Master)_, a dhampir, a powerful lycan clan, or a demon. The reason getting a hold of such help was difficult was probably because wizards don't want to get involved with business of such a dark nature, dhampirs were very rare to find, humans were just as afraid of lycan as they were of vampires, and demons...well, what would posses someone to cut a deal with one of them? You might as well go ask a vampire to slay a demon.

"An unguarded entrance." Lucinda McVicar remarked with fascination. "Is it that they were not aware that we would come or do they intend to lure us in?"

"I would like to think of it as a welcoming." Lucifera Augustus purred, placing her hands upon her hips. Her dark black hair was at shoulder length with two long bangs hanging in front of her face like bowing antenas. She had on cross shaped earrings, a rosary around her neck, and an open, black long-jacket. Underneath she wore a vest, and slacks with two large belts wrapped around her waist and two long chain whips at her sides.

"It would appear that Mistress Elman does not want to stall on our meeting." Evangeline McDowell chuckled with a smirk. "That's rather nice of her. Although it's likely that there are clansmen waiting for us to make our entrance. It's just a trap."

"Then let's allow them to have their fun." Lucifera suggested. "It's better than attempting to do our business quietly. A confrontation with the mistresses inside won't exactly be peaceful."

"Well put." Lucinda nodded. "What do you say, love?" The seductive mistress looked to Evangeline with a libidinous smirk.

"Let's just handle our business." Evangeline answered her rival. "I just want you both to know that Mistress Summers is mine. Don't get in my way."

"And what of Morrigan?" Lucifera asked the platinum haired mistress.

"Do what you like with her. Whatever affair you have; settle it."

"Shall we enter then?" Lucinda asked.

"Lets." Evangeline replied.

The three mistresses ascended the stair steps to reach the door, and Evangeline placed her hand on the door hook to press the latch and open it. The main hall was well lit with candles hanging from the walls yet there was an eerie mood about them since they were black flames. They were enchanted flames that never went out unless the mistress of the palace felt that it was time for her slumber. A red carpet lead from the entrance to the main staircase which lead to a door. There were no other doors beside the one at the top of the staircase so it was the only way forward.

"What an ugly hall." Lucifera commented, following Evangeline and Lucinda as they ascended the stair. "I can't say that I admire the master's taste. They must not be too pleasant to taste either."

"I don't think they would care if you did." Lucinda teetered.

"A person's tastes in home decor pales in significance to the taste of their blood. The two don't necessarily affect each other." Evangeline said off handedly. "Don't be so quick to judge a person." The puppet master opened the door at the top to find herself at the top of another staircase that lead down, however, it was apparent that they had just reached the true main hall of the palace. The room that stretched out before them was enormous with the red carpet running down the middle, branching out to every door that lined the walls of the room. The first room was just a chamber to make human guests feel welcome before they were ensnared in a trap because the chamber they were in now had absolutely no candles or sources of light with the exception of the occasional flash of lightning from outside. Naturally, darkness did not pose a problem when it came to vampiric sight so the mistresses were not bothered by this. They descended the stairs and stopped to observe the room.

"...Assuming that this is like all other palaces, our true adversary should be at the top floor." Lucinda concluded.

"You assume things so easily." Lucifera objected. "What's to say that they're not waiting in the basement or dungeon?"

"Because Seraphina loves to give out the illusion of appearing high and mighty." Evangeline explained. "Up we go."

_"Touring the palace without a guide?"_ A familiar voice echoed throughout the main hall chillingly.

"Mistress Slade." Evangeline spoke the French mistress's name. "How nice of you to be our host."

"Why, don't mention it at all." Morrigan chuckled, appearing before them. At the sight of her, Lucifera's brows arched in a hostile manner. Morrigan took notice of her and her attitude mirrored Mistress Augustus's perfectly. "So the devil princess of Rome decided to come? You're here for me, no doubt."

"It's good to know that you understand that." Lucifera replied with a devilish smirk.

"We've come to a major confrontation already?" Lucinda asked with an amused teeter. "Coming here might actually be worth my time after all."

"You're so easy to satisfy..." Evangeline muttered in disgust.

"Oh, you would know that, love." Lucinda said in a sultry voice.

"Don't take advantage of this temporary alliance to annoy me, McVicar. When this is all over, we will be enemies again."

"Now don't be so cold." Lucinda smirked at her rival. "Besides, we have more pressing matters to take care of." Both mistresses nodded to each other while Lucifera, and Morrigan had their verbal showdown, however, when they both walked past the French mistress, she turned away from Lucifera much to the other mistress's annoyance and said, "Don't think that you two can just walk past me."

"We are." Evangeline quipped, never missing a beat in her walk.

"Oh really?" Morrigan raised an eyebrow as she snapped her finger. Not a moment later did the atmosphere in the room take on a grave feeling. The temperature dropped and seven dark figures materialized on the other side of the chamber. They were ghostly hooded figures with swords gripped in both hands.

"Wraiths." Evangeline growled. _She can summon such a high rank of ghouls so easily with just a snap of her fingers? Mistress Slade has certainly gone beyond her abilities from before._

"They shouldn't be too much trouble." Lucinda said with a grin, flexing her fingers.

"Physical attacks are useless against these ghouls." Evangeline stopped her fellow mistress before she could rush in to combat. "High level spells should suffice."

"Very well." Lucinda nodded.

"Have you forgotten something?" Morrigan questioned them expectantly.

"I believe that Mistress Augustus could ask the same question." Evangeline retorted with a grin.

_Merde._ Morrigan inwardly cursed before she felt cold silver whip against her cheek painfully. The mistress jumped back quickly to put some distance between herself and her surprise attacker to find Lucifera with both of her silver chain whips drawn. "Burn!" Lucifera yelled sadistically as a series of magical glyphs circled her body before before the dark mistress's entire body seemed to become a living torch. Six burning wings sprouted out from her back and let out a jet stream of fire.

"Hyaaa!" Lucifera let out a battle cry before rushing at Morrigan with mind numbing speed. The result looked like a blazing arrow had collided with the French mistress before it was followed by an explosion that sent her flying backwards.

"You two take care of the wraiths!" Lucifera told her companions. "Morrigan is mine so don't get in my way!"

"No need to tell us." Evangeline replied. She and Lucinda rushed forward to meet the wraiths, chanting the incantation for their spells as they closed the distance between them. When Evangeline was done, an enormous glyph appeared under the group of wraiths before discharging a light that transformed into pikes of ice that impaled all of them. Lucinda followed up with a wind spell that summoned razor sharp blades that hacked at the impaled wraiths.

"Did that do it?" Lucinda asked.

_The wraiths all snapped their ectoplasmic_ _bodies in place as though they were made of bones and flesh before dispelling the pikes to begin their counterattack. _

"Not quite." Evangeline answered. A wraith rushed forward to lop her head off with a swipe directed at her neck, but she ducked under the sword quickly and grabbed it by the head before freezing it solid and crushing it in her hand. The wraiths body fell to the floor and slumped over before dissipating in white flames. Lucinda followed her example and plunged her hand deep into the head of one of the wraiths before unleashing a blast of wind from her hand that killed it quickly. Two other wraiths engaged Evangeline in combat forcing Evangeline to summon her dark blade and deflect a few slashes from her ghastly opponents. She quickly fought back, slashing one of the wraiths in half and following up with a subzero blast to it's upper body from her free hand to ensure that it would not reattach itself again. The block of ice that held it's upper body shattered upon hitting the floor and the wraith had been finished, but the other wraith wasted no time, plunging it's blade deep into Evangeline's stomach.

"Ungh!" Evangeline grunted at the feeling of the spiritual blade entering her body, but she grabbed a hold of the sword quickly before it could completely impale her and broke it in two with her own dark blade. She pulled out the edge that had found itself in her stomach and tossed it to the side before slicing the wraiths head off swiftly. As the head flew off, the undying wizard caught it with one hand and threw it out the window. Another wraith that approached her was completely destroyed by a blast of wind that did the equivalent of breaking it's body into millions of ectoplasmic bits. Lucinda offered Evangeline a flirtatious wink as she ran by her, and the undying wizard rolled her eyes at the other dark mistress's futile attempts to charm her. Another wraith came from behind her for a stab to the back only to have it's sword run through a fake. Evangeline appeared behind it and she dug her hand into it's chest to rip out it's spiritual heart. When she was done dealing with it, she looked to Lucinda to find that the other mistress had already dealt with the remaining wraiths.

"Shall we move forward?" Lucinda asked.

"Obviously." Evangeline quipped.

"Come on. Are you irritated by me?"

"I could have handled that other wraith on my own." Evangeline growled.

"I was just lending a helping hand." Lucinda said melodically, following the Undying wizard to the door on the other side of the chamber. Morrigan was far too busy dueling Lucifera to stop them from leaving.

"I don't see why if you won't be getting anything in return."

"You say that as if I had an ulterior motive in mind." The silver haired mistress said, sounding offended.

"You usually do." Evangeline retorted.

"Touche." Lucinda followed Evangeline into the next chamber, which had an imposing armored suit awaiting them on the other side, standing over another doorway that let to the next chamber. There was a a curving stairway on both sides of the room that met together over the armored suit's helmet to another bronze door. Naturally that would be their next selection for advancement.

"Let's head u-"

_**Creeeeeak...**_

"A living armored suit." Lucinda said, feigning a yawn at the sight of the armored monstrosity that moved it's head. "How cliché."

"Avoiding a confrontation with it all together will save time." Evangeline suggested.

"If you say so." Lucinda groaned before watching as the armored suit was encased in a large pillar of ice, courtesy of Evangeline's handy work.

"Let's proceed." Evangeline ascended the stairs with Lucinda following in suite and opened the doorway to find herself outside again. Before them was a long, snow covered catwalk the lead to another section of the palace. They crossed it, fighting against the abnormal winds that swept against them, and entered the next chamber. There they were met by two identical looking girls with white hair sitting on a throne together. They both wore black dresses with white bows hanging from their chests. There were white bows on their heads as well. Anyone who was not aware of their true nature would have been fooled by their angelic faces. Their hazelnut eyes and delicate features had a tendency of doing that, and so it was no surprise that hunters and clueless villagers had fallen pray to them in he past. The chamber had weapons hanging from the walls so the two mistresses already knew what was to come.

"Welcome!" One of them greeted cheerfully.

"We had been awaiting your arrival for quite some time." The other girl said. The difference in their voices were clear. While one had a sickeningly sweet quality, the other sounded completely emotionless but they both shared the same eerie smile. "We were worried that perhaps, Mistress Slade had dealt with you already."

"Oh, Lucifera is handling her quite fine." Lucinda informed them. "She should just about be done with her."

"Ah, really?!" The cheerful one gasped excitedly. "I've always wanted to meet Mistress Augustus!"

"Indeed." The emotionless one nodded.

"Drop the act already." Evangeline snapped at them, her left eye twitching in irritation at their little show. "You two are the twin mistresses that serve as generals in Seraphina's clan. We aren't so ignorant of your backgrounds so stop your attempts at fooling us."

"You're no fun." The cheerful one grumbled.

"Mistress Elman told us that you would be this way." The emotionless one said, standing up from her seat on the throne with her sister. "Dark Evangel...your reputation is known far and wide. For us to meet under such conditions is regretful. It would have been pleasant if we could have had leisure time together."

"Then I am right in assuming that you two are here to hinder our efforts?" Evangeline asked.

"That's right!" The cheerful one chirped.

"That is correct." The other answered at the same time.

"To be turned at such a young age..." Lucinda remarked with a bit of disappointment as she clicked her tongue. "Surely you both know of illusionary spells to gain older forms, right? The both of you would look lovely with older appearances; I'm sure of it."

"We like it this way." Both of them replied at the same time.

"Such a shame." Lucinda shook her head. "So much potential."

"Would you stay focused?!" Evangeline hissed at her fellow mistress. "Your lecherous visions can wait!"

"I can't help myself." The seductive mistress teetered.

"Now, if the both of you intend to do something, then do it now because I won't stay around for any more conversation." Evangeline declared. "I have a score to settle, and I am a very impatient woman when it comes to these sort of matters."

"Then go on ahead." Lucinda suddenly told Evangeline.

"What?" Evangeline raised an eyebrow curiously. "You'll face them on your own?"

"What's the matter, Evangeline?" Lucinda asked with a mischievous smirk. "Are you worried about my well being?"

"I could care less if you suffered to your last breath." Evangeline scoffed.

"I'm touched." The silver haired mistress grinned before giving the Undying wizard a shooing gesture for her to leave. "Now, if you'll be on your way."

"No need to tell me." Evangeline chuckled as she took her leave. When the door closed behind her, Lucinda turned back to face her opponents. The disturbing grin that made it's way along her lovely lips was simply chilling. "Now then..." Lucinda's voice took on a husky tone as her nails gradually grew into claws. "Let's enjoy ourselves."

Evangeline entered the next room to find herself at another stairway that seemed to be endless. It seemed that this was the way up to the tower of the palace. "I'm sure that is where Dorothy and Seraphina must be waiting." Evangeline said to no one in particular, taking her first step of the many that awaited her. Behind her, she could already hear Lucinda enjoying her engagement with the twin mistresses. Her laughs echoed through the stairway much to Evangeline's irritation.

"I just have to endure this partnership a little longer." She muttered to herself. "This will all be over soon."

* * *

_**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

_**Entering Dorothy's Throne room...**_

_**---------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

The large door to Dorothy's chamber opened. getting the attention of Mistress Summers. She raised her head slowly to regard her guest, and a wry smile danced along her lips for a fleeting moment. The Undying wizard had finally come to face her after that past seven years. She had been preparing for this moment under Seraphina's guidance for a long time. Now the opportunity had finally come for her to see how far she had come from the weakling she once was when she first crossed paths with Evangeline. Dorothy's appearance had changed somewhat from the time Evangeline had last seen her in Rome. Her blonde hair was longer from before with a wild appearance. It was a change from her usual combed hair. Her eyes were different as well. The naivety that once clouded her gold eyes were tainted with something sinister and fierce. The calculating coldness that iced over her gold orbs were almost equal to that of Seraphina's. Dorothy's vampiric mantle fell over the armrests of the throne, flowing down to the floor. Underneath she wore a black corset accompanied by a long skirt with a side slit.

"My wait is finally over." Dorothy said with a sigh.

"My, my." Evangeline crossed her arms as she approached the throne slowly. "Look at what the child has become under Mistress Elman's discipline. It's hard to trace you back to the little girl I had met in the courtyard in the past." Evangeline said with a slowly nod before she frowned. "However, I see that my words to you in the past did not make it past that thick head of yours."

"Why do you say that?" Dorothy asked, resting her her cheek in one hand.

"I say that because of who you have allied yourself with. You really are a puppet after all." Evangeline explained. "You stand for a corrupt council that will bring nothing but chaos to the nations. Don't you know anything about that past?"

"Under Mistress Elman's rule, the new age council will not fall down the same path as the old one." Dorothy reasoned.

"That's where you're wrong." Evangeline disagreed. "Under Seraphina's influence it will follow that exact same path. She wants nothing more than to unite all of the nations under her rule. What she has is a lust for power; nothing more."

"Even if that may be so, it does not bother me." Dorothy admitted. "As long as I can do away with the humans, I am fine with what plans she has for the new world."

"I take back my words from before." Evangeline shook her head. "You still are that foolish girl from before."

"Your impression of me does not matter to me."

"Well, that is quite obvious." Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Had it meant anything to you at all, you would have chosen a different path.."

"You tire me, Dark Evangel." Dorothy said with a groan as she stood up. "If you wish to make your point, then express it with your actions. Call me a fool; show me the errors of my ways." Her lips curled into a smirk. "Punish me if you wish, but I promise you that the outcome of our duel will not be like before. I have gone through great lengths to grasp the power needed to finally prove my greatness to you. I will show you my potential. I will show you that you were wrong! Now-" Dorothy revealed her left hand, which had been concealed by her mantle. She held an odd looking blade dripping with blood. Her blood.

"...Dark Matter..." Evangeline spoke the name of the artifact that the other mistress held in her hand. "You've cursed yourself in order to face me as an equal?"

"As an equal?" Dorothy blinked mockingly. "No, I've gone beyond an equal. The abilities I'm gifted with now allow me to surpass you."

"Doubtful." Evangeline quipped, summoning her dark blade. "It's time that I've ended your delusions, Dorothy." Evangeline's cold expression was replaced by a sadistic grin.

_**"It's been fun."**_

_**---------------------------------------------------------F-------------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------------------A-----------------------------------------------------------------  
**_

_**To Be Concluded In...**_

_**Fang Vice Addiction **_

_**Chapter Twenty-six: Standing the Test of Time**_

_**Act II **_

* * *

_Whew...had to cut it at the intermission. Geez, I didn't expect that chapter to reach this length already. Well, I'll try to get the second act finished before the end of this month so that the conclusion is delivered to you quickly. Assignments have been pretty hectic lately so forgive me for the long wait. I hope that this keeps you all satisfied until the second half is released. Well, it's time for a break. I'll see you in the last installment...well...not exactly see you but...gotta stop doing this to myself..._

_**Traingham...**  
_

_**P.S: The whole Lucinda/ Evangeline is pretty one sided as you can pretty much tell. Her obsession with Negi in the sequel will stem from that unrequited relationship...if you can call it that...**_

_To Ganegrei: I'll add that dossier in the second act._

_**Question Time!**_

_**Q: **If you're planning a Dark Makie will you be doing a Dark Yuuna and a Dark Akira as well?_

_**A:** That would have to follow since excluding them would seem incomplete. I have to come up with unique personalities that would fit their darksides though. Akira might be hard._

_**Q: **Did Mana really fall in love with Negi? When did it all happen? Was it before the sequel or during?_

_**A:** Well...I didn't expect it to arouse so much attention. Looks like I'm going to have to put some real focus into that scene..._

_**Q:** When will Chachazero get her pactio?! _

_**A:** The sequel. Yeah, I know that answer is a little unsatisfying, but please just bear with me here._

**_Q: _**_Are you going to elaborate a bit more on Mistress McVicar's relationship with Eva-chan?_

_**A:**__ Er...how so?_

_**Q:**_ _Does Mei have a part to play in this fic I mean any big part? Does Takane turn her etc._

_**A:** Mei will play a major part in the fic later. She forces Negi to make a hard decision in the future._

_**Q:**Chao, does she survive?_

_**A:** Can't answer that._

_**Q:**__How do you plan to if ever introduce Nagi? Will this be a bouncing point for Eva? And why the hell is she so lovey dovey right now? _

_**A:** 1) Nagi has a twist of his own in the sequel. (You can call it a side-quest of his own.)_

_2)It would be a good opportunity to test Eva's bonds with Negi, wouldn't it? _

_3)Cause Evangeline might seem too cold if I don't give her a slice of humanity._

_**Q: **__Do you think Evangeline would dislike Kotaro since he's kind of like a werewolf? _

_**A:** Nice question. Kotaro's friendship with Negi will cause him some trouble among his nocturnal acquaintances. (Dark mistresses included.)_

_**And that is the end of that...sorta...**  
_


	27. THE END?

_Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters…_

**_Fang Vice Addiction_**

**_Chapter Twenty-six: Standing the Test of Time, ACT II_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

_**INTERMISSION

* * *

**_

_**_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**___________________________________________________  
**_

**_"Dark Evangel" Segment..._**

**_-----------------------------------------------------_**

Evangeline's blade glinted brilliantly with each flash of lightning that pierced the stained windows of the throne room while Dorothy's blade seemed to swallow up any light that touched it's blood stained surface. The blade that the young mistress gripped by the hilt was unlike any sword ever feasted on by human eyes. The edges of the blade were lethal and jagged, but the tip of the blade was dull and flat like the end of a rectangle. The blade was an unlikely choice for impaling one's adversary. Evangeline's sword was an unusual blade as well for the one who wielded it. The blade seemed to be forged from lethal silver with Latin inscriptions pressed deep down the middle towards a pentagram that dominated the center. The pommel was a dark diamond that seemed to be the main passage for channeling the Undying Wizard's dark energy through the sword. The hilt had a spiral design that led up to the guard of the blade, which resembled a cross pointing up toward the pentagram as if it were reaching to make contact. A vampiress who was careless in wielding the blade would very well end up hurting herself severely. It did make one question how Evangeline McDowell truly felt about the blood that ran through her veins, having spiritual ties with the blade she held in her hand.

"Are you ready?" Evangeline asked Dorothy. "I will not forgive you if you aren't fighting at your best when I kill you."

"That is my question to you, McDowell." Dorothy replied as she took a step forward. "I don't believe that you are taking me seriously when I say that I've gone far beyond what I was before." The mistress bowed her head slightly and chuckled confidently. Her hand gripped the hilt of her blade tightly, and her muscles tightened and relaxed. By now the curse was starting to run it's course over her body. Soon she will have powers far beyond her wildest dreams. _I'm happy that you will be the one who will allow me to put these abilities to the test. It is time that we cross blades and see who is destined to carry on the future. _

"Now, fight me!" Dorothy yelled at Evangeline as she made her first move. Oddly enough, the young mistress sheathed her blade before attacking rather than using it as her weapon. She pulled back her right hand and went in for a thrust directed at Evangeline's chest, her murderous intentions clear with the audible crack of the tensed knuckles in her hand, but the other mistress dodged to the side and grabbed her outstretched arm with both hands, pulling her quickly and turning her hips to send Dorothy flying over her head and crashing into the wall behind her. Dorothy's rage rose to new levels at being tossed to the side so easily. When Evangeline's ears did not register the sound of Dorothy's body making contact with any bricks, she turned around to find that the young mistress had landed on the wall with both feet as though it had been no different from the very floor under Evangeline's feet. Dorothy kicked off from the wall to launch herself at her adversary, similar to a falcon cutting the winds, and used the momentum to slam Evangeline to the ground as soon as she had her fingers wrapped around her neck. Evangeline was surprised by her sudden increase of strength and speed. The way she executed her counter attack reminded her of the cold precision of an assassin. There was no hesitation, nor was there any break within the succession of what followed afterwards. As she felt the explosion of pain in the back of her head from being slammed so hard to the floor, the Undying wizard realized that Dorothy may not have been all talk.

"Huh!" Dorothy yelped when she was suddenly jerked back abruptly as if an invisible hook had snagged her. The suddenness alone was enough to put an end to the young mistress's building explosion of fury. It had left her like a "high" at it's end. Evangeline plunged her blade into the floor to stop Dorothy's rush, and used the young mistress's moment off guard as an opportunity to kick her legs back and wrap them around Dorothy's neck upon contact to slam her back down to the floor with a quick jerk forward. When she was down, Evangeline got back to her feet and pulled her sword from the floor to raise it over Dorothy's heart and go for the finishing blow, but the young mistress's had become alert again, rolling to the side in order to escape death and pushing one hand against the floor to have her body come off the floor and land on both of her feet with a well executed flip. She was given no time to rest as Evangeline recovered from the failed execution and tried to make up for it quickly with a swift slash. Dorothy ducked under the first slash and jumped over the next, landing on Evangeline's blade. Her shoes kept the silver from burning her flesh.

"You're quick." Evangeline acknowledged Dorothy's agile manner before pulling the sword from underneath her feet. This left her hanging in mid-air for a few seconds, completely open to any attack that Evangeline had in store for her, and the dark wizard was quick to take advantage, leaving a shining flicker in the ghostly image of her sword from the swift slash she preformed to strike Dorothy with. The sensation that Evangeline left Dorothy with was unlike anything the young mistress had ever experienced before. In all of her years living, she had never been struck with a weapon forged of silver. The villagers from the small town that she lived in at her young age were poor so they could beat her with nothing more than wooden clubs or the pitch forks she came to fear in her constant nightmares. She never understood why nocturnals dreaded it so much until now. Her chest felt as though it was on the verge of exploding, and she wanted to scream, but the only thing that kept her from doing so was her pride. She would not allow Evangeline to hear her scream in agony. She would not give her that satisfaction, so she bit her lip until it bled and sucked it in as her wound bubbled like boiling water. Evangeline's sudden shift in expression caught her attention, however. The elder mistress's expression changed from 

that of a cold warrior to one more fitting for a child lost in interest. It was not dramatic, but the surprise was clearly evident in her eyes, regardless of how small it appeared to be. It was then that Dorothy realized that something was clearly amiss. She looked down at her wound to see dark slivers of smoke rising from the black bubbling blood that gradually tainted her crimson life essence.

_Dorothy smirked..._

"It looks like the curse is finally taking effect." The young mistress laughed.

"..." Evangeline stayed silent.

"Your blade is useless now, Evangeline." Dorothy's grin curled into a vicious sneer. She assumed a stance in preparation to attack and she lunged forward at the dark wizard. Evangeline dodged to the side before Dorothy could rip into her stomach with her claws and whipped around quickly to slash at Dorothy's back. "Ungh!" The burning sensation of silver meeting nocturnal flesh exploded in the young mistress's back like rolling fire against her pale skin as she staggered forward from the slash. She almost cried out this time, but she was quick to play it off by sucking in deep breath to silence herself.

"Seems pretty effective to me." Evangeline quipped with smirk that ignited wicked flames in Dorothy's eyes. She hated it. She hated that damned smirk that always found it's way on Evangeline's face. She should have been furious at her new development. She should have been on edge, knowing that she had grasped a power far beyond anything she had ever seen before, but no, not with Evangeline. The Dark wizard just shrugged it off and continued fighting her without missing a beat. Oh, how she wanted to rip out those lips...

"I got careless." Dorothy growled.

"I'd advise that you don't allow yourself to get too confident around me, child, or I may pierce that rotten heart deep in that corrupted body of yours."

"Try it!" Dorothy screamed, rushing toward Evangeline again. The young mistress slashed at her with her claws, making Evangeline dodge to the side again as predicted, and caught her in the face with a roundhouse. Evangeline almost lost her footing from the unexpected attack and looked up in time to see Dorothy following up with a quick slash. The dark wizard kicked back to avoid being slashed by the young mistress's claws only to escape, barely. A squirt of blood came from her right cheek as Dorothy's hand passed in front of her face, and Evangeline touched her own cheek to feel a deep cut. She ignored it quickly and advanced for a counterattack, slicing off the arm that Dorothy used to swing at her.

_"GOD!"_ Dorothy shrieked when she felt the silver blade sever her muscles and nerves, sending her arm flying across the room. She looked to her severed extremity in panic and quivered when she found it gone. "...You...you witch!" She bellowed at Evangeline furiously.

"There goes one arm." Evangeline licked her lips sinisterly. "Let's even thing out, hmm?"

"Ah!" Dorothy gasped when Evangeline took a step forward and her mind blanked out. Fear was clouding in her mind and it was keeping her from formulating a counterattack. She had to run now. Her inexperience as a warrior on the battlefield told her this as Evangeline poised her sword for another slash that would surely be directed at her other arm if she chose to simply watch her in shock, and she couldn't afford that. The young mistress jumped to the side when Evangeline brought her blade down upon her and she kicked away to dodged another slash before tripping on her own foot and falling to the floor gracelessly. Her eyes darted to her frightening adversary whom turned to look at her as well, and she used her remaining to help herself back up to her feet, and not a moment too soon as Evangeline rushed forward to her menacingly, trying to carry out her gruesome deed as she went in for another slash at her arm. Dorothy felt helpless. Her confidence left her, being part of some twisted game that Evangeline had decided to play with her body's dismemberment being the main objective. She ducked under another slash from Evangeline, flinching when sparks sizzled from the blade scraping against the wall, and desperately tried to get away from the corner that Evangeline had backed her into, but the dark wizard kicked her chest the send her off balance and went in for another diagonal slash while the young mistress was vulnerable. Dorothy's nerve-wracked mind caused her to hold out her hand on reflex to shield herself and-

_**SHLIP...**_

"RAAH!" Dorothy screamed in agony when her other arm got lopped off. She lost her balance completely, and fell to the floor again.

_...Helpless..._

_...Defenseless..._

_...Powerless..._

"And so it has come to this." Evangeline cooed cruelly, looking down upon Dorothy with cold eyes.

"...But why..."

"Excuse me?" Evangeline's ear perked up.

"Why am I so...weak?"

"...Well..." Evangeline paused. "I'm afraid that I don't have a definite answer to that, little girl." The elder mistress placed the sharp tip of her sword upon Dorothy's chest and made a thin slice to relieve her of her corset, leaving her bare chest exposed. Dorothy could sink no lower now. She was stripped of her pride, strength and her dignity. Evangeline would only be merciless if she ended her life now. It was perhaps, something that the young mistress would beg for. "All these years, all you have been doing is stalling your inevitable death at my hands. You've turned others against me, and you have attempted to tarnish my name," Evangeline's eyes narrowed imperceptibly as a frown graced her lips. She was truly bothered by the next words that left her 

mouth, "You even went so far as to curse your own body and soul, but in the end...it was for nothing." Evangeline placed the tip of her blade over Dorothy's heart, eliciting a pained whimper as the silver ate away at her nocturnal flesh. "You don't even know the history behind that cursed blade, do you?"

Dorothy remained silent, biting her lip in pain. Her vision was beginning to blur and darkness was pulling her in...

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_______________________________________________________

_Is this death? _Dorothy heard her own voice echo around her as she drifted down into the welcoming abyss that swallowed her. She felt weightless and free, out of reach from all the pain and the evils of the world. Evil...what a word. What was evil to her could have been considered good to others. She was evil to those villagers that tortured her in the fields, but who was there to ease her pain and look for the good in her?

_Please tell me that I'm dead._

_**"Aiiiiiiie!"**_ Dorothy was startled by the sudden scream of a girl. The mistress had no hands to cover her ears with. Evangeline had taken away her final defenses from the terrible sounds that haunted her nightmares. All she could do now was squeeze her eyes tightly and pray that all she would do was listen and not see what hat taken place on that night. She heard the shrieks of the little girls that caught her in the act of feeding on one of the livestock. She did not dare prey on any of the villagers when she was living with them. She knew that if they found anyone with bite marks on their necks, they would start a hunt.

_**"Pleas-ah!"**_ Dorothy curled up and did her best to bury her head between her legs if it would help in blocking out the screams. She could hear the crackling of flames from the torches that they brought to the scene of the _"unholy"_ act. She could hear them dragging their pitchforks along the blades of grass; the murmurs among the men and women that watched as her torturers surrounded her. A pregnant silence followed, the little girl's frightened whimpers being the only sound reaching Dorothy's ears before she heard the first barbaric grunt from one of the men. She heard a club come in contact with soft flesh, and she flinched at the agonized yelp from the little girl.

"No!" Dorothy moaned out loudly.

_Another club._

"Leave her alone!"

_The clubbing continued._

"You monsters! Leave her alone!"

_The girl cried out._

"STOP IT!"

_The girl's voice cried out louder. The sound of her scream could hardly be made out as human anymore. In a way it sounded too pure to come from a human. It was more like a dying angel crying out her least few moments of life._

_"Why won't you leave her alone! Why won't you show her any mercy!" _Dorothy no longer kept her eyes shut, but she could make out nothing in the darkness that consumed her. "Why! She caused you no harm! She was only doing what was necessary for her survival!"

_There was a final grunt, but what followed did not sound like a club. Dorothy gasped when she heard the familiar ring of metal piercing flesh. The tiny voice let out one final yelp, but it was strangled and short lived. The noise finally came to an end. All that was left was silence._

"...Little girl?" Dorothy's voice rasped out, but there was no response. "Just whimper or moan if you hear me..."

_Silence..._

"You can't...can you? It's so painful that you can only hope that death will release you from it. You're confused...you're afraid. You no longer feel safe or secure anymore." The young mistress whispered, more to herself than the little girl anymore. "You just want to be left alone forever. You want to ...you want nothing to do with this cruel world anymore. You just want everything to go away...don't you?" Dorothy swallowed hard and closed her eyes again. "Well, don't worry. I promise you that they won't just walk away from this. I'll make them sorry. I'll make them regret ever doing this to you!"

Dorothy would not allow herself to die now. She made a promise to herself the night that they left her in the fields with that accursed pitchfork holding her down for the sun to finish her off the following dawn. Evil would not be able to prosper as long as she was still breathing. The young mistress was determined to wipe out the demons that despised her so. Such beast had no place on this world. She had come too far to fulfilling that promise for her to just accept death so easily. She had come much too far!

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"Not now!" Evangeline was jolted back by an invisible force when Dorothy suddenly cried out with new found strength. The dark wizard's blade was repelled from the young mistress's body and sent slicing through the air before hitting the wall behind her. Evangeline immediately understood what was happening. Dorothy had finally tapped into the cursed power that the demon blade instilled within her. Their true duel had ensued. The elder mistress stepped back once a dark miasma was released from Dorothy's body. It surrounded her like a protective barrier, and the young mistress levitated from the floor, landing on her feet with a thunderous 

crash. The floor beneath her cracked and exploded in all directions, some shooting in Evangeline's direction, but the undying wizard swatted the shards away effortlessly and prepared to face what was to come. She was tempted to retrieve her sword, but she knew that turning her back on this girl would be a fatal mistake. Yes, at this point Dorothy may have been capable of killing her.

_"I promised myself..."_ Dorothy said in short breaths. _"I promised myself that I would avenge that little girl from so long ago. If I die now...everything I'd gone through would have been for nothing. It would have been meaningless." _Dorothy's gold eyes darkened into an eerie, purple glow as the miasma got thicker. Evangeline felt as if her lungs were being contaminated just standing before the cursed mistress.

"URGH!" Dorothy grunted as the veins in her shoulders bulged frighteningly. Dark blood stretched out from her wounds like wires and came together to form her arms again. Evangeline was irked by the young mistress's newfound level of regeneration. It was so unnatural. "Now do you believe me, Dark Evangel!" Dorothy cried out. "Will you take me so lightly now!" The young mistress shrieked and the miasma was absorbed into her. A pool of darkness bubbled at her feet and tentacles came wriggling out of it before wrapping around Dorothy's body to cover her bare chest like a symbiotic suit.

"This is it, Dorothy." Evangeline replied. "This is where it ends!" She kicked forward to Dorothy, and flexed her hands to allow her claws to come forth. Dorothy ducked under Evangeline first slash and grabbed her by the arm before placing her other hand behind her back and throwing her upon the floor where the dark pool bubbled viciously. Evangeline felt the darkness attempting to consume her and jerked up quickly, rising up with a kick to Dorothy's ribs. The young mistress staggered back from the kick, but she reacted just as quickly as her fellow mistress had, rushing forward and ducking down once she reached Evangeline before rising up with an uppercut. The darkness seemed to resonate with Dorothy's intentions and swirled around her arm when she executed her uppercut, sending Evangeline crashing into the ceiling. When Evangeline fell back to the floor, Dorothy took advantage of the situation and followed up with a wave of darkness. She whipped her hand in the Undying wizard's direction and the darkness came rolling towards her at top speed. Evangeline felt as though she'd been caught in an avalanche with the force that the dark wave smashed into her, but the young mistress was not finished with her just yet. Dorothy clenched her hands into tight fists and the darkness binded Evangeline tightly.

"Writhe in agony!" Dorothy cried out dementedly as she raised her arms to the ceiling. The darkness imitated her actions and slammed Evangeline into the ceiling again. Dorothy brought her fist to the floor and the darkness slammed Evangeline back down to the floor in response. _Hmm...let's see how this works!_ She pondered sadistically, cupping her hands together. The darkness formed a bubble around Evangeline just as Dorothy had imagined, and the young mistress smirked with satisfaction. "Die!" Dorothy slammed her hands together and the bubble went erratic before attempting to crush Evangeline within it, however, before it could, it had become frozen.

"Huh?" Dorothy blinked before the bubble shattered and Evangeline landed on the floor gracelessly. The elder mistress was bleeding from her forehead, and she was panting.

_Damn my carelessness. _Evangeline inwardly growled. _This girl really has been consumed by the darkness in the blade. She wields it as though it was one with her own body!_ Evangeline's eyes swiveled to her sword, lodged in the wall. _No matter though...she may be cursed, but she is still a vampire regardless. She still shares our weaknesses._

"Don't think I didn't catch that." Dorothy's sinister voice brought Evangeline out of her thoughts.

"Hm?" Evangeline looked back to the young mistress as if to try and understand the meaning behind her cryptic words.

"You're trying to use the sword!" Dorothy snarled, lashing out at Evangeline again. This time spikes shot out from the darkness in an attempt to impale the dark mistress, but Evangeline rolled out of the way and kicked back on her feet quickly to fly backwards, her hand reaching out for the hilt of her blade. Her eyes darted to the walls when she realized the Dorothy had been spreading the darkness around the room and she inwardly cursed when it swallowed her blade.

"Damn." Evangeline hissed. She came to a halt when she saw the darkness pull her blade out of the wall in the form of a hand and point the lethal tip of the blade in her direction. _How shameful. My own blade has been turned against me. _Evangeline inwardly chuckled with a smirk. "Things are sure going to get interesting." She said sarcastically.

"Now..." Dorothy smiled in delight, tears of dark blood dripping from her eyes. "Dance for me!" Evangeline tensed when she saw the dark hand wield her blade skillfully. It rushed toward her with a slash directed at her neck, and Evangeline reacted swiftly, bending backwards to allow the blade to pass over her chin by a mere inch. The blade stopped directly over her head and came down, but she did a back flip, barely avoiding a beheading as she soared over the blade and landed back on her feet. She heard some patronizing claps behind her and narrowed her eyes, picturing the smirk that was undoubtedly playing upon Dorothy's lips.

"Faster!" Dorothy giggled. The hand readied for another dance and stabbed at Evangeline, forcing her to sidestep it. Evangeline raised an eyebrow curiously; however, she was forced to dodge another stab, and another, and another, and another until she was jumping left and right, ducking and dodging. To those with an untrained eye, all that could be seen was the blur of the shining blade and blonde hair whipping back and forth. It was not until Evangeline heard a light "_Swift"_ that she jumped back and felt her hair.

_...Little brat..._Evangeline fumed.

"Humiliated?" Dorothy asked, cocking her head to the side. "Well, I'll do more than that before I'm done with you." She sneered at Evangeline viciously and dark slivers of smoke came from mouth. "Why don't I repay you for taking my arms earlier?"

"Try it, runt." Evangeline dared her. _I need to let her rage cloud her mind. _"I doubt you have the ability."

"Don't sound," The dark hand pointed the blade at Evangeline again, "so confident!" The sword came slashing at Evangeline again only this time there were clearly intentions of doing some damage. Evangeline ducked under another slash and kicked back to put some distance between her and the silver blade. She rushed to Dorothy, leading the sword toward the young mistress and ducked under another slash just as she was in arms reach of Dorothy, however, instead of the blade slicing the young mistress's head off, it came to a stop before it could even touch her. Dorothy whipped around to face Evangeline and frowned, narrowing her eyes imperceptibly. Did she really believe that she was so foolish?

"Expecting me to kill myself?" Dorothy questioned maliciously.

"No." Evangeline answered, holding a sword in her left hand. "Just a little distraction."

"What the-" Dorothy looked to her waist and found the cursed blade gone. Evangeline must have snatched it after she ducked under the blade. "What do you intend to do, hmm! Will you curse yourself as well!"

Evangeline scoffed. "Hardly the idea, my dear."

"Very well." Dorothy nodded, taking Evangeline's blade from the dark hand. "Then we'll duel each other with each other's swords." The young mistress chuckled darkly. "Though, being attacked by that blade will do nothing to me."

"Is that what you think?" Evangeline asked with a subtle grin.

"Try killing me with that!" Dorothy challenged.

"Oh, we'll see what happens." Evangeline retorted.

"One thing is sure though. One stab from this blade to your heart, and I will be rid of you!"

"Then meet you mark." Evangeline challenged her with a light pat on her chest.

"You will regret those words!" Dorothy spat, rushing forward with the silver blade in hand. The darkness trailed behind her like a majestic cape, almost blinding Evangeline when she slashed at her. There was a reverberating clank and some sparks when their swords met and Evangeline forced Dorothy away. While the young mistress staggered back, the dark mistress ran to her and planted one foot on her chest before kicking her chin with her other foot. Dorothy's head whipped back from the kick, but the cursed vampiress was determined to fight back, swinging her sword. The tip broke the skin on Evangeline's cheek and she jumped back, letting out a hiss from the sting. Dorothy's body jerked forward like a wooden marionette and she slashed at her again, but Evangeline ducked under the sword quickly and went in for a stab.

_What the..._ Dorothy mouthed in confusion. The edge of the blade was dull. How did she intend to- "Ugh!"

_There was penetration._

Dorothy's eyes went wide with horror as Evangeline managed to force the dull edge even deeper into her stomach. She felt a sudden jolt within her body and the feeling in her fingers went completely dead. "How did you...urgh..." Dorothy heard Evangeline's blade clatter to the floor. "I don't understand..." There was a lapse in her voice as it gradually became strained. Evangeline could see that she was right about th blade and it's curse.

"Your body can no longer be considered flesh and blood." Evangeline explained, bending down to grab her sword. When it was grasped in her hand, it disappeared in a puff of dark smoke. "Your body is also bonded to this cursed blade so it won't resist any penetration from it." Evangeline smirked as she grabbed a hold of the hilt again. "How does it feel little girl?"

"...I can't feel anything." Dorothy said in a near whisper.

"That's because the curse is spreading even faster now that the source has entered your body." Evangeline leaned over to the young mistress until they were nose to nose. "Now-"

_**C-R-A-C-K...**_

"What happens when you destroy the artifact that seals the curse?" Evangeline asked with a grin.

"Seals?" Dorothy managed to say.

"Yes. The Dark count of legend sealed the Demon lord of the seventh circle of hell and the plague he carried within this blade, or at least that's what the legend says. Since that day, this blade has been kept as a reminder of the nocturnal race's triumph over hell itself. Generals have fought to find it in hopes of gaining the blade's power, but it was a foolish dream because what the blade offered along with the power was the plague itself. Now you carry the burden of that curse..." Evangeline stepped back. "Let's see if the great Dorothy Summers can escape hell itself."

"What?" Dorothy gasped before the void of darkness under her feet bubbled violently. Tentacles came wriggling out of it and bound her arms and legs. "HUH! W-WHAT IS THIS!"

"Your final fall." Evangeline answered her.

"NO!" Dorothy wanted to escape but her body didn't respond to anything she wanted it to do. Before long she was up to her chin in the darkness.

"Good night, dark princess." Evangeline said with a bow.

_**"Forever."

* * *

**_

_**_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**________________________________________________________  
**_

**_Mahora Festival: "The Final Day"_**

**_------------------------------------------------------_**

__

"Boy, was that annoying." Dorothy mumbled, leaning against a nearby tree. "Who knew that that flying beast could have been so clever?" The mistress recalled her engagement with the wyvern that Negi duped her into fighting. The beast was resistant to magic spells so she had to turn to melee instead. The beast wasn't nearly so hard to take down afterward, but it managed to keep her busy long enough for Negi to escape from her. _With a few of his precious students no less. This could pose a problem... _She inwardly growled. Dorothy stepped out from the shade of the tree and held her hand out so that the light touched it.

_Nothing happened..._

"The sun...once my mortal enemy." She grinned lightly. "Now nothing more than a mere annoyance. I should use this time to find Negi while the preparations are taking place. Lingshen should be getting ready to take control of Mahora and carry out her plan as of now. I'll wait for her to succeed and kill her afterward just like before. There should be no deviations to throw me off course...unless Negi catches on quicker than I'd predicted."

_"And now we'll direct you in how to use your wands for the event!"_ Dorothy's ears perked up at the girlish voice and the mistress stalked towards the corner of the building to take a peek at what was happening. She got a glimpse of two female students in robes and witch hats talking to a large group of teenagers who were all being handed out magi robes. The sight disturbed Dorothy because she was sure that the world wouldn't find out about magic until Chao succeeded with her scheme. So why was it that everyone was dressed like magis, and more importantly, why was this all taking place in broad daylight? This sort of activity was illegal by the laws of magic. Mundanes were never supposed to find out about the existence of magi and yet here they were being given lessons as if it was a passing fancy that all could partake in.

"...Are those teachers behind this?" Dorothy asked no one in particular, raising an eyebrow. She pulled back into the shadow of the building and leaned against the wall, stroking her chin. She had no idea what this was all about, but it didn't seem like an idea that the law enforcing magisters would come up with. It was risky and unorthodox. The young mistress's eyes narrowed imperceptibly as a smirk played along her lovely lips. "Could this be Negi's doing? Hmph." She chuckled with a hint of pride. "This should be interesting."

Dorothy closed her eyes in deep concentration and the darkness that made up her dress reacted to her will, materializing into a something a bit more appropriate for the festival. A skirt and a button up shirt were better than walking around in her usual attire. She didn't want to draw any unwanted attention to herself and blow her cover before she could get the jump on her prize. 

"Odd...for some reason I'm finding it difficult to sense the darkling. Could he have anticipated such methods?"

Chao sighed deeply, resting her head on the glass table that she had her elbows propped up on. Her eyes swiveled towards the window of the piloting deck of the zeppelin, and quirked an eyebrow when she saw some odd formations on the campus grounds. There were orderly lines of people donning mage cloaks at the command of two officers, or at least that is how Chao's mind interpreted the scene. Gandolfini must have pulled strings far and wide to have so many mages come to the campus so quickly. The Chinese scientist stood up from her seat and approached the window to get a better look. What filled her orbs caught her off guard.

"They're everywhere." Chao gasped, resting her hand on the rails that kept her from falling forward onto the curving windows. She observed them all intensely as her mind tried to formulate some rational explanation for how all of this came to be. She had eyes all over campus, not to mention a sharpshooter who had a hawk eye's view of the festival area to know what sort of business her adversaries were cooking. So how was it that all of this could have happened, and she had absolutely no knowledge of it whatsoever? Chao turned around to face the door of the room when she heard some footsteps. Chachamaru had come along with her two alternate counterparts. Hakase had them specially made for this final event. She had some others in the works; however, they were for the gynoid's personal use. Chao did her best to resist investigating what they were.

"Chao-san, you seem to be disturbed by something." Chachamaru stated her worry.

"I am." Chao replied with an irritated nod. The look she directed at the green-haired young woman told her that some of her disturbance was directed towards her. "Have you and Hakase been paying any mind to Gandolfini's activities at all?"

"Yes, ma'am." The gynoid answered with a slight bow. "What is wrong?"

"There's an army being organized down there." Chao answered, catching Chachamaru by surprise.

"We were not aware of any of this."

"Obviously not." Chao mumbled under her breath.

"This must be the work of someone else." Chachamaru reasoned, much to the scientist's growing intrigue. "Our spies have not informed us of anything in relation to what is currently transpiring on campus. Kazumi-san has not contacted us either. There is a possibility that she may have switched sides and joined Negi-kun."

"She was never really on a side in the first place." Chao quipped as she crossed her arms. "Fascination and curiosity are her driving forces." For things to start losing stability at the very 

peak of her scheme was something that Chao was not taking too well. She had already shed too much blood and sweat for her plans to fail now, and that was to be taken in a literal years of her life were sacrificed , leading up to this fateful day. _Negi-chan, will I truly have to punish you in order to ensure a better future for you? Must I strike my own flesh and blood so that I may preserve it? Then so be it. The future will depend on those who have the power to take it into their own hands._

"Ms. Lingshen?" Chachamaru called the attention of the vampiress when she saw her spacing out.

"Hm?" Chao turned her attention back to the gynoid when her voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"What will we do now?"

"How is Hakase's progress on dispelling the barrier?"

"She should be in the final stages by now." Chachamaru replied.

"Good." Chao nodded approvingly. "That should be our main focus right now. We'll deal with that army when we bring in our own."

_If I can get that taken care of, then all I really have to worry about is facing Negi, and Mistress Dorothy. I know that she isn't just going to let me go so easily. She wants me dead, I'm sure of it. _Chao really had no recollection of what had taken place after she met with Negi on the balcony of the tower at the plaza. All she remembered was getting the upper hand in her duel with the young magi, and everything afterward gets vague and blurry. Hakase told her that they found her resting near the arena after the farewell party that the class president planned out was a failure. That could only mean that Dorothy still had a use for her. There could be no other explanation for her surviving the hell storm that she conjured from the sky. It should have completely obliterated her. Instead she had woken up without a single scratch, and a recurring bodily shutdown accompanied by an urging voice in the back of her mind that wouldn't let her think of anything other than taking her young teacher for herself...a very disturbing thought indeed that she desperately wished to be cleansed of.

"She wants me to reveal the world of magic first." Chao furrowed her brows and clenched her hands tightly until her knuckles were completely white. _I'm tired of being manipulated by her. Tonight, when we come face to face again I will carry out what I intended last night. I must! I don't know exactly how I'll do it, but_ _Dorothy must not be allowed to continue living in this time or any other time for that matter. She's too dangerous!_

"Chao-san." Chachamaru called her attention again. The gynoid seemed to be very uncomfortable as she folded her hands over her lap. When the scientist turned to face her, she knew that Chachamaru's troubles were in regard to Negi Springfield. Only he could make the young woman feel unsure of herself. He was perhaps the reason she had gone through so much emotional evolution, and for that Chao was filled with a certain pride, however, it was times just 

like this that seriously made her regret giving her such potential. If Chachamaru had been a cold-calculating assassin then all of this would be easier to deal with.

"Are you feeling hesitant about this?" Chao asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I..." Chachamaru averted her eyes. "Y..n...I'm not..."

"If you cross paths with Negi-sensei then I expect you to show him no mercy." Chao told the gynoid after hearing her stumble over her words. "He's the enemy. Do you understand?"

"...Yes." Chachamaru nodded.

"I'm counting on you. Your cooperation can be the one thing that ensures my plans success. Will you throw that all away just because of a little crush?" Chao advanced on the gynoid as she spoke.

"What?" Chachamaru went on alert after hearing the Chinese scientist's words. "I don't kno-"

"Don't play dumb." Chao sighed. "It's very easy for me to read you. One of the main reasons you accepted my proposal was because we promised something in return for your services. Aren't those new bodies important to you?"

"Yes." Chachamaru said without the slightest hesitation.

"Then don't worry." Chao assured her. "I have Negi-sensei's best interest in mind. If I succeed we'll all benefit from this."

* * *

**_[F] {V} [A]_**

* * *

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

**_Evangeline's Residence..._**

**_-----------------------------_**

"Ugh." Evangeline closed one eye and stuck out her tongue in disgust. She held the blood packet away from her lips and regarded it curiously. "That's just weird. Why does this taste so...old?"

"Mistress." One of her maids called her attention with a bow. She was the blonde model with long hair, not so unlike Chachamaru's hairstyle. She reminded the vampiress most of the class president. "It would appear that the power to the house is completely cut off. "Amane did some research and has concluded that the campus is sharing the same results."

"Meaning..." Evangeline's eye twitched fearsomely. "...My entire supply of blood has...gone into coagulation?"

"It would seem so." The maid replied as two other maids passed the entry way to the kitchen with folded clothes in their arms. Oddly enough, they looked like they belonged to her disciple...what the hell would they be doing with those? "Ahem." Evangeline cleared her throat to get the attention of the two maids. When they came back to the entry way, she asked, "Where did you find those clothes?"

"In Master Negi's room." Meryl replied with a stoic expression.

"They were in his hamper. It seems that they have not been cleaned in at least a week's time." Nabiki added.

"...Dirty kid." Evangeline mumbled.

"We also found one of his used pajamas under your pill-"

"Are we forgetting the reason I asked you this question?" Evangeline cut her off quickly. "This entire time you've been tending to my room alone." She narrowed her eyes at them imperceptibly. She had a bad feeling about this. "So how is it that you all suddenly realized that the boya is living here?"

_The three maids remained silent after she asked her question..._

"Though we have only met him last night, he is still a member of this household, and it would be inconsiderate to ignore his presence." Amane answered tactfully. Her answer made Evangeline raise an eyebrow suspiciously. She knew that Chachamaru's absence would cause some sort of complication. She should have never allowed them to strip and bathe him last night. She wasn't sure exactly how he triggered this of behavior from her maids, but she feared that soon she would have Chachamaru's running all over the place. _That would cause such an inconvenience..._

"Hm?" Evangeline saw her maids go on alert. "What's the matter?"

"Master Negi is approaching the residence-" Nabiki replied just before the tree facing the window danced back and forth from a sudden gust of wind.

"-And has landed on the porch." Meryl finished for her sister.

"Speak of the devil." Evangeline mused with a devious smirk. She watched as the maids got in the process of getting up to answer the door but-

"I will answer the door." Lucy stopped them, passing the entryway to reach the door.

"...Very well." Those in the dining room replied hesitantly, though it would only take Chachamaru to notice the quick pause. After a few short seconds, Lucy came into the dining 

room, escorting Negi behind her. He looked as though he'd been through hell and back with the way his green suit looked, or at least what was left of it anyway. A better look at physique told Evangeline that the young teacher was really shaping up into becoming a man with everything he had been through for the past days.

_Or perhaps it's just the effect of the blood he's drank. He's become much stronger now that he's gotten it straight from the source. _Evangeline inwardly frowned at her own thoughts. Negi's first drink was from Takane...how irritating."Well, well." Evangeline purred, directing her usual evil look at her fellow vampire. "Look at you, boya. You look like you've seen some action already."

"I have." Negi nodded.

"So then, what are you doing back here? Don't you have a busy night ahead of you?" Evangeline asked him. "Don't tell me that you ran back here to cry."

"It's a long story." Negi sighed. Amane offered him a seat across Evangeline and he slumped down on to the chair gratefully. He wanted nothing more to do than to sleep, but life was cruel, and all that was ahead of him now were problems and more problems in the form of his own student, Chao Lingshen and Dorothy Summers. "I just felt like I needed to see you one last time before I did anything. You're the only one I can really turn to about this."

"Really?" Evangeline smirked before turning to her maids. "What are you all still doing here? Get back to your duties."

"Yes, mistress." They all nodded before heading out with the exception of Amane.

"Bring us some tea, Amane." Evangeline ordered the gynoid.

"Yes, Mistress." The blonde maid bowed and took her leave.

"Are you still hesitant about facing, Lingshen?" Evangeline asked him, resting her chin on one hand. "After the talk we had last night, I didn't think your mind would be clear. You've heard something that is troubling you, haven't you?"

"Yeah...how did you know?"Negi blinked curiously.

"Your thoughts betray you, boya." Evangeline replied as she tapped her own forehead. "I can practically smell the fear on you as well. What happened?"

"I encountered Dorothy again." Negi answered. "This time she was set on taking me away with her. "

"And yet you managed to escape again." Evangeline mused, cupping her chin. "I have to say that you are impressive. A fledgling standing up to a Dark mistress and getting away alive is unheard of, however, that is where our real problem lies."

"What do you mean?"

"All you've managed to do so far is run away from her." Evangeline explained cryptically. "What do you think will happen when you have nowhere to run? Do you believe that you can take her on?"

Negi swallowed hard after hearing her question. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. A duel with Dorothy would most likely spell the end for him. Takamichi couldn't even stand up to her when he was making his escape from the holding quarters. _I don't even want to think about what she did to him. How am I supposed to defend myself against her!_ "I don't think that I can. She's far too strong."

"She confuses you too...doesn't she?" Evangeline read his mind again. Negi was usually good a clouding his thoughts, but right now he was an open book to her. It irked her somewhat. The future of the world depended on a boy who couldn't even make up his mind. "Tell me, Negi, do you think that you can hate her?"

"Excuse...me?" The young magi tensed at her question.

"I asked if you can hate Dorothy." Evangeline persisted.

"Hate her?" Negi looked confused. "Hate her? Why would I hate her?"

"She is your enemy, Negi." Evangeline explained. "She is a danger to the life of you and your students. The only way you'll be rid of her is if you kill her."

"...Kill?"

"Does the word scare you, boya?"

"You want me to kill her?" Negi's face went pale as his jaw fell. "I-I can't do that. I can't kill a person."

"But she can." Evangeline quipped. "And she will. In the world that we come from, killing isn't really much of a big deal. We kill to get what we want even if it makes others around us unhappy. She will threaten the lives of your students in order to obtain what she wants."

"...She wouldn't do that." Negi retorted.

"No?" Evangeline quirked a brow. "And why is that?"

"...She isn't like tha-"

_"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"_ Negi was disturbed when Evangeline began to laugh. _"My, your perception of the world is so pure, Negi Springfield. It just disgusts me."_ Evangeline got up from her seat and started to make her way around the table to meet Negi. The young magi began to sweat as 

she came closer. He could already tell that his choice of words were unadvised. "You speak as if you truly understand that child mistress, but you could never understand such a twisted mind, boy."

"Uh..." Negi sank further into his seat as the vampiress got closer.

"Tell me Negi, what is evil?" Evangeline asked, taking a seat on his lap.

"Evil...is..." Negi stumbled over his words cautiously. "...It's..."

"You can't come up with a good answer, can you?" Evangeline cut him off, placing her arms around his neck. "Evil is what you believe to be evil just as good is what you perceive to be good. In the end it's all a matter of opinion. Forget all of those movies you see on T.V. It's all unrealistic. What you are facing now is the real deal. Your problem is that you can't seem to stand on one side. You stand in the middle, hoping that perhaps all is not as bad as it seems."

"You're referring to Chao?" Negi asked nervously. The position they were in really confused him.

"I'm referring to everything, boya." Evangeline replied. "You need to decide who is who or you'll never be able to face anyone. That is the only way to survive in the world. The way you think now will only get you hurt."

"But-"

"But what? How many times must I explain to you?" Evangeline said in frustration. "At times like this you can only see things in black and white; otherwise you'll just hesitate and risk the lives of those around you. Lingshen already knows what she wants, and she's going to fight for it. Words aren't going to change her mind, and the same could be said of Dorothy. She won't stand around and listen to one of your speeches. She's here for you and she will do everything possible to gain what she desires. So tell me, will you just keep on running away?"

"...No." Negi answered her. "I can't."

"Then you must do what is necessary."

"I understand."

"Good." Evangeline grinned, getting off of him. Amane walked in with the tea platter and set it down on the table before serving both Evangeline and Negi. "So this is where it all comes down to. I won't lie to you Negi. This will probably be the hardest conflict you've ever had, and it's because of that that you cannot be careless. By coming here I can see that you've matured from before. You've got guts kid and I like that, but that stubbornness of yours can really work on my nerves."

"Thanks." Negi told the maid when she handed him his cup of tea. It had been quite a while since he had a sip of the homemade stuff. He could feel his taste buds tingling as the crimson liquid went down his throat. It was a bit off though. "Um, Eva-"

"Yeah, yeah. There was a power shortage so don't expect top quality." Evangeline answered his unspoken question. She wrinkled her nose slightly at the scent of the steaming concoction. _Great...now I have to resupply again. This is going to be a hassle all right._ Her eyes wandered over to him and she gave him an expectant look.

"Yes?" Negi asked curiously.

"You planning on going back out there looking like that?"

"Oh!" Negi forced a chuckle as he looked at his own appearance. He looked a bit like road kill. "No way!"

"Then get fixed, will you?" Evangeline ordered him.

"Alright, but..."

"What is it now?"

"I've been meaning to ask you an important question." Negi's words made the vampiress blink. "I've gone through a lot the past few weeks, and I feel that I can't really forgive what karma has done to me unless I hear the answer from your lips. You see, Kyoto and everything that happened afterward was really tough on me, but I feel as if everything has actually gotten a bit more chaotic ever since you bit me that night."

_I never anticipated this sort of behavior from him. This is going to be a doozy..._

"I've been suppressing cravings in order to keep my students safe from me, I almost hurt Nodoka, ending up biting Takane instead, which actually caused more trouble than I believed it would. I risked blowing my cover in the tournament, and to makes things even worse, I'm a marked man that every dark mistress in the world would kill to get their hands on. This is neglecting to mention that there is one on campus as we speak just waiting for the chance to kidnap me and have her way with me...whatever that means..." Negi looked up to regard Evangeline with determined eyes. She could tell that he was balling his hands on his lap. "So I just need to know. I've asked you this question before, but something told me that you were avoiding the truth last time."

_Evangeline narrowed her eyes..._

"Why did you turn me into a vampire?" Negi asked, his hands trembling with suppressed emotions. "Why did you have to bring me into your _dark_ world? You knew it was dangerous so why did you do it? I could be living normally right now if it weren't for you. I wouldn't have to be so cautious every time I'm around everyone. Takane could be living her normal life right now, too...so why?"

Evangeline bowed her head slightly, sending cold shivers down Negi's spine. "I've given you immortality, and limitless power...don't you appreciate that at all?" Her voice was low and menacing.

"At the cost of my humanity." Negi countered.

"And what is so god damn great about humanity?" Evangeline asked. "You lot are susceptible to sickness, and weaknesses. Your lives are limited, so much in fact that most of you die unhappy. You all have no respect for each other. At least most of us have honor and we only come in conflict when it is truly necessary."

"You're still avoiding the answer, Evangeline McDowell!" Negi yelled at his master for the first time, and with her full name no less. "I don't care about that anymore! I just want to know the truth! I want to know that I haven't been put through this hell for your own amusement! I just want to know if there was a purpose to all this! What personal gain was there to all this!"

Evangeline's entire body was trembling with anger as she slammed her hands on the table, screaming, "What personal gain, you ask!"

"That's right!" Negi stood up to her against his better judgment. "You could at least answer me that much!"

"Very well!" Evangeline jabbed at the air in front of her with an open palm and Negi was sent flying to the wall behind him. The impact was hard enough for the wall to crumble around the young magi as Evangeline stalked towards him in a frightening manner. The maids resisted the urge to see what was going on. What the mistress did was her business alone.

_Is this it for me? _Negi thought to himself, regarding the dark mistress with one open eye. _Did I cross the line this time? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all._ Negi cowered slightly when Evangeline sat on his stomach and grabbed him by his collar so she could force his eyes on her alone.

_You want to know why?_

_**You stay away from my students!**_

_Courage..._

_**"I-I was just l-looking after you."**_

_Compassion..._

_**"I'm...sorry guys..."**_

_Sacrifice..._

_**"Please accept me as your disciple!"**_

_Boldness..._

_**"If you want to hurt her then you'll have to go through me!"**_

_...And strength. All of these were characteristics that I have not seen in anyone ever since your father left me. I'll admit that when we first fought, I had nothing but hatred for you. You were the son of the man, who betrayed me, and so I had to vent my anger and frustration, but little by little, I looked past my anger and decided to see you for who you truly were. What I saw in you was haunting, so much in fact that I couldn't stop the nightmares anymore. Call me shameless for trying to keep you for myself forever, but my body acted on its own. I just have too much pride in me to tell you the truth. _Evangeline grabbed Negi by the sides of his face and leaned over to plant a kiss on his lips. It was forced, and Negi did his best to struggle out of her grips, but Evangeline was far too strong for him to resist against. The young magi's eyes went wide with shock when she forced her tongue into his mouth, trailing the sides of his tongue before she sucked on it. It was all too much for Negi. Not even Takane was bold enough to do this with her dark alter ego. Negi was relieved when she was finished, pulling away from him with one final suck, leaving a trail of saliva hanging between them for a moment.

"That is the purest truth I can give you, Negi." Evangeline told him with a libidinous smirk as she got off of him. "If you can't understand that, then I turned a retard." With that, Evangeline left Negi alone in the room by himself. Negi, needless to say, was in far too much shock to say or do anything. He could taste the blood from Evangeline's mouth.

_**__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**_Moving on from that shocking development..._**

**_-----------------------------------------------------------------_**

The girls watched quietly as Negi entered the room looking as though he had wrestled a bear, or at least that's what went on through Konoka's bubbly mind, watching the young teacher's face of shock. Changing in the room that Evangeline assigned to him was perhaps one of the scariest things Negi had ever done. He hadn't felt this way, knowing that she was in the same house since the time she walked in on him in the shower for the first time. The fact that her maids kept on coming in and out of his room while he was changing didn't help the feeling much either. He was scared that they might tie him up and bring him to Evangeline.

"See! I knew you should have brought me along!" Chachazero said in a, "I-told-you-so" tone of voice, flailing her arms from Yue's shoulder. "She did something to you, didn't she!" The puppet demanded to know.

"Geez, aren't you glad that you'll be moving back in with us?" Asuna asked, crossing her arms in disapproval. "I swear, why couldn't she just have you train with her the way you usually did?"

"Yay, Negi-kun is coming back to us!" Konoka cried out gleefully.

"That will be a relief." Setsuna seemed to agree with the two girl's sentiments.

"It was my fault anyway." Negi replied, shakily. _I shouldn't have stoked the fire so much._ He took a seat on the couch that Ku-Fei and Kaede were sitting on with a sigh, placing a hand on his forehead. He already had a life threatening experience and it wasn't even with the enemy. "So everything is going smoothly, right?"

"Yeah. Ayaka has been getting busy announcing the event to everyone. Madoka, Yuna, Ako, and all the other girls are out there doing the same." Asuna answered.

"So have you cleared your mind, Negi?" Yue asked the young magi in a sagely tone of voice.

"...Yeah. I think so."

"If you ever want to talk about it, you know I'm here for you." The short librarian told him with a light blush.

"U-um, thanks." Negi felt a blush creeping up on him as well.

_Dotted line, dotted line, dotted line..._ Was all Chachazero could think as she imagined one on Yue's neck.

"Hello?" Asuna called his attention. "Business first, huh?"

"Sorry about that." Negi apologized, massaging the back of his neck nervously.

Chisame looked up from her laptop on the table across from the couch and answered, "Everyone is taking it like it's just another festival attraction. We've successfully recruited everyone and they don't even know it."

"That's good to hear." Negi nodded in response. "Has Chao made any moves yet?"

"She's been pretty inactive as of now, but Kazumi tells us otherwise."

"What do you mean?"

"Kazumi, and Sayo have been spying on the faculty and they're saying that Chao has been working on bringing down the magical barrier of the campus." Chisame explained, adjusting her glasses up the bridge of her nose, causing it to glare for a few seconds. "They haven't given us any intel on what she intends to gain from this yet. Hopefully they'll get back to us on that."

"And what is the faculty saying about our plan?"

"We've already passed on all the information to the headmaster so you don't have to worry about the faculty intervening. Kazumi tells us that they have been assembling their own team though. Supposedly, Chao plans on attacking from either the world tree plaza or the lake so the girls have our troops posted on both defense lines."

Takane gripped her hands behind her back as she stood with Mei by her side among the rest of the faculty and mages that were able to come in time for the operation against Chao. There was talk of forced recognition magic, disturbing everyone attending the meeting. Even more disturbing, she was willing to call upon the power of demons in order to ensure her plans succession. Chao was truly a formidable general. What the blonde magistress couldn't understand was why the young woman was so desperate for the world to know about the world of magic. What was there to gain from it?

"What we are dealing with now is forced recognition magic against the entire world." The headmaster announced to the assembled staff within the room.

"Is that possible?" Akashi asked in disbelief.

"We've underestimated her, principle. Where did you receive this information?"

"The information source is irrelevant." The headmaster silenced the subject quickly. "We must put a stop to this plan no matter what. Now, in regard to the operation, fighting against two thousand five hundred enemies with the public watching would be ridiculously difficult. That being the case, we'll have the public act as an active party. It's a desperate throw." The headmaster raised a large bushy eyebrow, holding a hand up to hold everyone's attention. "Plan for plenty of safety measures. We must protect our students."

"It's true that our students like these kind of things, and they have the capabilities too." Mitsuru mused.

"They might actually be surprisingly useful as a fighting force." Seruhiko nodded, stroking his chin.

A tall bald mage with shades looked over the documents he had in his hand before stopping at one of the points referring to, "Six units of giant life form weapons?" He looked to Toko expectantly for some sort of explanation. Toko nodded and went on with her explanation.

"It appears that Lingshen plans on taking control of some nameless demons that have been sealed away by petrifaction under the school. It is believed that they are going to be used as magic amplification devices for the creation of the giant magic formation. If this appears we will have to tell our student to pull back. We can't risk any casualties." At Toko's report all of the gathering mages began murmuring amongst themselves feverishly. Misora could only stay silent and smile while Kokone kept a face of indifference. She knew what she saw down there, but for some reason her words didn't have as much as an impact when compared to that exact same intel coming out from an elder.

"Support from the home country won't make it here in time to collaborate. Keep this in mind, if we cannot stop Chao from realizing her goal then the entire world will be changed."

_And now I have to go through this crap again._ Takane inwardly growled before a slight smirk popped on her face. _But master will be on the field as well this time._

_"Everyone, put your full effort into this operation!"_

_**"YES SIR!"

* * *

**_

**_[F] {V} [A]_**

* * *

"...Cosplay club? What is that!" Dorothy asked in confusion, looking down the male student that she made the mistake of talking to. "I will ask you one more time, and this time I would appreciate it if you gave me an answer rather than commenting on my physical features or any clubs for that matter." The dark mistress kept her twitching hands from carrying out what they so desperately wanted to carry out.

_Kill him. He's a low life. The world would be much cleaner without him..._

"Listen closely." Dorothy told him, placing one finger under his chin to direct his eyes towards her own, and not at any other place on her body. "I want to know if you've seen a boy with red and black hair. He usually wears a green suit, and from what I know, he is very well know on this campus. If you have seen him, then can you please lead me to him?"

"Oh, you mean, Negi Springfield!" The young man asked excitedly. "He made it to the final round in the Mahora Budokai!"

_I'm aware of that you twit. _Dorothy inwardly rolled her eyes, but she managed to keep a pleasant mask on. "So are you telling me that you have seen him?"

"Sorry. Nope." He replied after taking a moment to think that one over.

"...Incompetent." Dorothy sighed, walking past him.

"Hey, that wasn't ni-"

"Silence!" Dorothy looked over her shoulder to snap at him before walking on.

"Yes ma'am!"

_It shouldn't be this difficult to find him! I've asked almost every person I've crossed paths with for information, and they claim that they've seen no traces of him. _Dorothy leaned against the wall of a store she was passing and ran her hands through her hair. From the beginning she never thought it would have been this hard to take Negi. She thought it would be a simple observe, bond, and snatch, but no-o-o-o, her damn pride had to get in the way and now all of this happened. "Please-ugh!" Dorothy felt a sudden pain in her chest and she gripped it, taking in sharp breaths. "Damn...possessing a body usually makes this much easier on my own. When will this pain ever leave me?"

_Never, you know that. This is your entire fault. If you had not gone through such lengths to best Dark Evangel then you wouldn't be in this situation._

"Or dead anyway." Dorothy muttered to herself.

_-ZZT-_

"Hmm?" Dorothy looked up at the sky to see a blue flicker run across for a brief moment."How odd...I feel stronger. Has the magical barrier finally been dropped?" The dark mistress whipped her head to the east when she heard a sudden commotion. Students were whooping, and yelling, running like animals in a stampede while others tried to run in looking stylish for their dates. They all had their wands and guns ready for combat, shooting projectiles and simple spells.

"It began already?" She asked no one in particular, quirking an eyebrow. "Something is off about this."

_**"It looks like the battle has already opened up at the Mahora lakeside! Without waiting for the starting bell, the enemy robot army has struck with a surprise attack!"**_

Kazumi's booming voice perked Negi up. "What the-" Negi rushed to the window to see an army of Tanaka robots marching up from the lake. Robotic tanks accompanied them from behind, but the tourists and students ran head on, thinking it was just the beginning of the attraction. "It looks like Chao wanted to catch us off guard before we got some stability in the ranks."

"The barrier has been shut down too." Chisame informed him. "Chao is going to be able to summon those demons soon. When that happens, it's going to get pretty ugly."

"Well, can you at least tell me where Chao is hiding?"

"Calm down, I'm on it!" Chisame snapped back at him. Negi nodded impatiently and looked out the window again just in time to see Toko's foot slam on the window pane. Negi flinched, seeing the foot come painfully close enough to crushing his nose, however, he was so caught up in watching what was happening that he merely resumed his position against the window. Beams were shot across the streets, naked and embarrassed students running the same way it had gone as though trying to retrieve their clothes from the beams that relieved them of their articles.

"Asuna, and Setsuna!" Negi called their attention, whipping around to face them.

"Y-yes!" Both girls were caught off guard by his unexpected commanding manner.

"It looks like your cue to join in!"

"Alright!" They both rushed out of the room, the light from their pactio transformations coloring the halls as they made their leave of the building. Negi turned back to the window after they left just in time to see Takane, and Mei join the fray. (_That wasn't intentional, mind you._) The blonde magistress glanced up at him for a few fleeting seconds as if to acknowledge his presence before proceeding to shadow punch through an unsuspecting Tanaka android. Mei twirled her broom and set a few other droids on fire before panicking, and throwing herself onto the floor to avoid an incoming strip beam. Takane seemed to anticipate it as well, jumping into the air with feline swiftness and crashing into Asuna whom just happened to be gliding by at the exact moment. Needless to say, a quick spat started between the girls before they turned their attention back to the war at hand.

"...I'm still worried that-holy-" Negi backed away from the window quickly when he saw a familiar face running through the streets. "D-Dorothy made it back?"

"Who?" Chisame questioned curiously. _Great, another member of the club..._

"N-nevermind what I said!" Negi waved away the subject of the dark mistress quickly.

"Could that name have anything to do with what happened the night you dueled, Chao-san?" Kaede inquired curiously. "With someone that powerful on the field on the opposite side, we're in for some major problems."

"She isn't on anybody's side." Negi replied. "She's here for her own reasons."

"Then why this person after you?" Ku-Fei asked, rising up from the couch, cracking her knuckles.

"Because I'm the reason." Negi explained as vaguely has he could.

"Shit! I'm getting an ominous power spike on my laptop guys!" Chisame broke into the conversation. Negi, and the girls crowded around the computer wiz and watched a small box in the corner of the screen allowing them to view monstrous silhouettes rising from the lake behind the mists of the crashing water.

"What's up with those giant soldiers!" Haruna asked, her mouth agape. "Oh, to hell with this! We need to get out there!" The artist declared.

"Shouldn't Negi-sensei come as well?" Nodoka asked, standing at the door with Yue.

"No." Chisame refused the suggestion. "We need him as a last resort when Chao makes her appearance. My sensors can't pick up anything that might be her."

"Then I guess we go on this one without supervision." Yue thought aloud.

"Then get me off your shoulder!" Chachazero demanded. "I'm not about to be separated from, Master Negi, again. We're fighting this one together!"

"Okay." The short librarian complied with the sadistic puppet's wishes and returned her to her master. When that was settled, she left the room with the rest of the library trio, signs of their transformations following behind them like proud banners.

_**RUMBLE...**_

The building shook as one of the monstrous robot's beams touched down to the campus streets. Yelps and screams all followed.

"That's sick!" Negi exclaimed, sweat trailing down the side of his forehead. "How was Chao able to prepare so much? How can we match her with that much firepower on her side?"

"In these sort of situations it's best to cut off the head directly." Chisame replied. "That's why we can't afford for you to exhaust yourself out there before the mastermind of the operation makes her appearance."

"An old, but risky tactic." Ku-Fei added her two cents.

"Yeah, but Chisame might be right about this one."

_**"T-This is an incredible sight! Have our Mahora students become shaken after seeing those giant robots!"**_ Kazumi's commentary echoed throughout the campus.

"Seriously...what is Kazumi doing?" Negi asked with a skeptical expression.

"Doing what she does best." Kaede answered with a grin. They all turned their attention to the window again when they heard some clattering footsteps on the roof tiles on the building beside them to see Seruhiko, Akashi, Gandolfini, and Sister Shakti dashing from roof top to rooftop. They did it so elegantly that Negi couldn't take his eyes off of them, until Misora landed on the rooftop of the building beside them with Kokone riding her shoulders before nearly slipping backwards. It killed the moment effectively.

The familiar sounds of battle filled the air, and it was nothing but music to a certain marksman's ears as she walked to the ledge of tallest building of the campus that was in the war field. She was donning a black shroud to blend in with the ever falling darkness of night, and she had her familiar guitar case in hand. Once she found a suitable spot, she set the case down on the floor to open it and set up her sniper rifle.

_"Aren't they getting aggressive?"_ Mana chuckled, as she set the rifle down on it's bipod. _"It looks like it's about time I stepped in." _She stopped for a moment, looking to the meshing colors of the people running on the streets below. A breeze blew through her hair, and she smiled. _"Will you face me tonight, Negi-kun?"_

The atmosphere of the campus did not just appeal to Mana Tatsumiya, who knew of war and longed for battle every day. Evangeline McDowell, took her pleasures from the explosions and screams with just as much, if not even more. With the barrier over Mahora dispelled, the dark mistress was able to regain her powers, watching the ranks fight below with leisure from the comfort of her floating broom. She wore her usual style of clothes, sporting a black, goth lolita outfit with long leather boots, and a wide brimmed witch hat to top it off.

"Just the show I expected." Evangeline purred, taking a shot from her drinking cup. "Now, Dorothy, don't be so hasty to make yourself known. Allow me to have my fun first, a'ight?"

She watched the faculty members advance through the robot army, and sighed in annoyance when she found Takamichi among them, taking out the trash like he was known for doing. He just kept his hands in his pockets, beheading, and punching holes into Tanaka droid bodies with his light quick "Ai-ken" shots. He ducked under their beams fluidly, sometimes just deflecting them rather the wasting the effort. It all looked so natural for the white-haired teacher, but that was to be expected from a man who once ventured the world with, Nagi Springfield, and it annoyed the mistress.

"Let them struggle a little, will ya?" Evangeline mumbled, rolling her eyes. "Oh yeah, and since I was on the subject of the _"Thousand Master"_, where the hell is Negi? He should be down there making me proud right now." _Unless a little grownup kiss shook the boy so much that he's still trying to recover. _Evangeline could still picture the adorable look of fear that was on the young magi's face when she had her way with him. "His fault for trying to force himself into a dark maidens heart. _If you've got the guts then deal with the consequences_."

-------------------------------------------------------

"What's the deal with you?" Chisame asked Negi when she felt him shiver against her shoulder.

"Someone is thinking about me." Negi answered. _Someone evil..._

_---------------------------------------------------  
_

__

_Let's get rid of the annoyances first. _Mana's mind began calculating as she pressed the side of her face against the cheek piece of the rifle.

_Misora, who knew you would be such a help to them, carrying the little girl around?_

_Take aim...and..._

**_FIRE!_**

_**__________________________________________  
**_

Kokone's eye widened when she picked up the whistling of a bullet with her powers.

_A SNIPER!_ The girl's alarms blared. She skillfully broke free from Misora's grips on her legs and placed her arms on her shoulders before performing a somersault, kicking Misora in the back in order to save her from the incoming projectile fire.

"WHAT ARE YO-" Misora tired to get out when she felt her partner's tiny foot send her flying forward, but her voice died in mid-sentence when she saw the chibi-nun become encased in a swirling black orb that shrunk and disappeared. "K-Kokone! D-Dead!"

_______________________________________________

_They know that there's a sniper now. I can't allow myself to become too predictable. "Pretty boy Seruhiko", seems a bit tense there in the west side. Let me ease him a bit._

_If I richote my bullet off that tower then I should hit someone down there at the level._

_Take aim...and..._

**_FIRE!_**

_**___________________________________________**_

"Is the sniper still after us!" Mitsuru panted out before whipping his head to a nearby tower when he heard a bullet richote. It kept on following a path towards where Seruhiko and Akashi were handling business.

_**POOF**_

...Where Akashi was handling business...

"Richoteing the bullets to hit a faraway targets?" Mitsuru thought grimly. "That is some inhumane skill! Lingshen has all of the best on her side."

"This is getting me so impatient..." Negi growled, watching the Tanaka droids pull out the big guns. They started picking off groups of students with large machine guns, but what happened to everyone who got hit was not exactly what the young magi anticipated. "Wh-what happened to all of them?" Negi approached the window boldly, the possibility of Dorothy being nearby slipping his mind, which did bring up the question of just what the dark mistress was doing to keep herself entertained.

"God knows, at this point in the game." Chisame replied in frustration. "Chao just keeps on coming out with more and more gadgets." The net idol turned her attention to the door when they all heard some running heading towards the room. Kaede, Ku-Fei, and Negi got ready to defend themselves only to find Ayaka, Makie, and the library trio back from the heated conflict outside. Oddly enough their outfits still looked completely untouched, but that was to be expected since you could either get stripped or get sent to some abstract dimension out there on the field. At least that's what was going through Negi's mind at the moment, watching so many people disappear before his eyes.

"Negi-sensei!" Ayaka rushed up to Negi and held him in a tight embrace as usual. "It's horrible out there!"

"I know." Negi nodded, rubbing her back soothingly.

"We were out there too, you know!" The other girls complained at seeing the class president reap more attention for herself.

"Alright, then it's time that we got out there. What do you think?" Negi asked, looking to Kaede and Ku-Fei, who both naturally agreed.

"Getting bored." Ku-Fei said, moving her head in slow circles to get the cramp out of her neck.

"I as well." Kaede nodded.

"Ok, ok!" Chisame heaved, throwing her arms up in agitation. "You wanna go? Let's go!" The net idol cried out, standing up from her seat. She grabbed Negi by the arm, however, and pulled him behind one of the many bookcases stretching out from the left wall. The girls were curious by her peculiar actions, including aforementioned young teacher who could only allow himself to be taken with her.

"Um, Chisame-"

"Be quiet, alright?" She hissed at him.

"What are you going to do?" Negi asked when she placed her hands upon his shoulders. He saw her swallow hard, sweat beads trailing down her face as her cheeks heated up. The young magi could feel the warmth radiating from her. That's when it finally hit him. She was going to initiate a full contract with him, but why was she getting so nervous? She was usually much more detached and business like when it came to dealing with people, especially him, and the girls in his class.

_Wh-what is it about you, huh!_ Chisame was fighting an inner battle and as of now it wasn't going anywhere. _Why do you always make me feel this way whenever we look at each other like this? And my arms...they want to wrap around further than just your shoulders. Why are you able to do these things to me, Negi Springfield? What is your secret? Where is the mask? Where are the lies and where are the truths? It's like-waumph?_

Chisame almost felt her eyes roll into the back of her head when Negi decided to initiate the kiss for her, finding that she was taking much more time than they could have afforded. The girls saw the familiar light burst forth beyond the cracks between each book and gasped. Chisame Hasegawa? No way!

"There." Negi said softly, pulling away from her lips. He heard her sigh softly before she opened her eyes, blushing furiously.

"What the fuck was that for, kid!" The net idol yelled, grabbing him by the collar to pin him against the bookcase behind him. "Why'd you go on ahead of me!"

"Because you were taking too long!" Negi argued with her. "Everyone can't just stand around waiting for you to decided when everyone's lives are at stake! Come on!" Negi grabbed her by the hand, firmly, but gently as to not hurt the young woman. He didn't want to know what her hand would look like if he just allowed his own natural strength to do the job.

"W-whatever." Was all Chisame could come up with. When they were back out in the open with the others, the girls teased the net idol with some whoops and applause causing the girl to burn a deeper shade of crimsons, yelling, "Shaddup! It's none of your business!"

"Girl got some!" Haruna was relentless.

"I've only allowed you to touch him this way beca-"

"I said, shut it!" Chisamecut the class president off before she could go on any further with her "Negi-centrics".

"Can I go too?" Makie asked eagerly when Negi was passing by her. There was an interesting quality to her voice as she pleaded, but no one other than Negi would be able to take notice of it.

"Right no-" The young magi began, but-

_Their eyes locked..._

"Makie?" Negi let go of Chisame's hand, much to the net idol's confusion. She had her hand waiting at the exact same spot he let go of it until she realized how dumb it must have looked, and allowed her hand to fall at her side. _This feeling...I know that I've felt it before in someone, but why would I be getting it from her? It's as if there's someone before me that is trying to persuade me to accept them._

"Yes, Negi-chan?" A gleam passed over the gymnast's eyes for a brief second.

"N-nothing, nothing!" Negi waved off the situation before it could build into something dangerous. He backed away so he could regard all of the girls and said, "Thanks everyone for making this plan possible. Mahora would be in so much trouble if it wasn't for you."

_Have we forgotten how it looks out there already? _Chisame thought cynically.

"Now-" Negi ripped the bandage of his cheek and fastened his staff to his back tightly. "It's time for me to head out there. Chao must have made her appearance by now."

"Let us come with you!" Ayaka offered without a second thought.

"Yeah!" Makie stepped forward, nodding her head eagerly.

_Not only is that dangerous, but this feeling I'm getting from Makie doesn't feel right. Letting her come with me might complicate things for the worse. _"No, I'll go on my own. It's too dangerous to follow me where I'm headed." Negi replied, walking towards the window. He opened it and prepared to jump, but not before looking back at Kaede, and asking, "Can I depend on you to lead the girls, Kaede-san?"

"Of course, Negi-kun." The ninja replied with a cat-like grin. "You go take Chao down. I'll work on diminishing the army."

"Okay." Negi smirked before turning to the puppet sitting on his shoulder. "You ready, Zero-chan?"

"Been waiting a long time for this." Chachazero cackled, unsheathing her blades. She jumped off from his shoulder, and to his surprise she floated in mid-air.

"That's new..." Negi remarked in amazement.

"You've never seen me in action without that annoying barrier over the school."

"Then this should be easier than I thought." Negi grinned at her. "Let's go!" He jumped down into the street, Chachazero following in suite, and rushed to the nearest Tanaka android he could lay his eyes on. The andoid turned to face him quickly after sensing his unique reading, and opened fire, but Negi's quick reflexes allowed him to dodge between each bullet as if they were all going in slow motion. He had to admit that the advantage that his vampiric side offered was a guilty pleasure.

"Hya!" Negi pulled back his hand and punched the android through the stomach before dashing away to avoid the explosion. He saw a few students dealing with a heavily equipped Tanaka android that was shooting at the with a high calibur gun, taking each recoil as if it was nothing but a simple jolt. "You're next." Negi muttered under his breath as he licked his lips, but a green blur whizzed past him and buzzed around the droid. When it was done the android stopped firing abruptly for about five seconds before falling apart into little metal squares. The students all cheered at their opponent's unexpected demise and ran off to deal with the next group of Tanaka droids they came across. Negi on the other hand was speechless.

"Am I good, or what?" Chachazero asked, floating over the pile of crackling metal.

"...We're going to have a long talk about how you threatened the girls in the past after this is all done." Negi told her sternly. He got shivers just thinking about what might have happened if he didn't stop her from carrying out those threats in the past. Gawd knows, Kotaro might be a pile of kibble and bits by now with all the times he pissed off the sadistic little puppet. "B-but, that was some amazing stuff you just did right now."

"You think so?" Chachazero asked, doing her best to suck as much praise out of his as she could.

"Um, yeah." Negi nodded before resuming his run. "Let's get g-going, huh?" _I am so glad that she's on my side. I am so glad that she's on my side. _

Mana set her sights on Chao as she delivered the final blow to Setsuna. The swordsman rolled along the ground after making impact before coming to a stop, face down. Chao approached her when she saw Setsuna fighting with everything left in her to get back up and retaliate. She planted her foot on her head and pressed her cheek on the floor in a taunting fashion, but she whipped around in time to catch Asuna by the neck. The red-head struggled, kicking her legs, but Chao had her remain still when she slammed her to the ground. Asuna was out like a light.

"Well that's the signal." Mana said to herself, getting ready to take that shot as Chao stepped back to give her a good shot, but she stopped herself when Takamichi stepped into her view. The grey-haired teacher was in battle form, hands in his pocket, and soot covering his usually pristine, white suit. The marksman tapped the button on the side of her ear piece to get in contact with Chao, and asked, "Take the shot?"

When Chao shook her head, Takamichi looked up in her direction for a moment, but her black shroud kept her so well blended with the darkness that he couldn't see her. He turned his attention back to Chao when she started moving her mouth, and Mana sighed. _Always the talker aren't we, Chao?_ She tapped the red, brick ledge in wait while Chao and Takamichi had their talk until the scientist finally made her move, appearing behind the elder teacher in the blink of an eye to touch a pressure point in his back. He wasn't going anywhere.

_You're out, old man. _Mana pulled the trigger and Takamichi was out just like all the other people that she had in her sights in the past. There was a lingering dissatisfaction in the lovely marksman, however. For some reason she just needed something to give her a challenge, no, not something...but someone. "You two are next." Mana said boredly as she pulled back the bar to reload. When she was done reloading, she got ready to take the shot, but just as her finger put enough pressure on the trigger, they were gone. They just disappeared.

"No, that's not it. This is Misora's doing." Mana thought aloud, trying to follow the blur, but the young woman dashed around the corner before she could get a clear shot. "I knew she was going to be an annoyance. Well, they won't be much of a threat anyway." _I doubt that those two girls will recover from a beat down like that so quickly. By the time they're in the condition to move, Lingshen will have forced the knowledge on the world. God, this is so...so...why is sensei taking so long?_

Mana looked around towards the main street of the plaza where the trolleys picked up passengers to find Sister Shakti pumping her legs gracefully. Mana had to admit that she had some wonderful form. _You're the woman I met on the canopy. Sister Shakti, your run is ove- _Mana quirked an eyebrow curiously when the nun stopped in front of one of the trolleys to aim her cross at someone who was on the other side.

"Who might you have found?" Mana asked with a chuckle. "Well, we never stand still on the field of battle."

_**BOOM**_

"Shakti-sens-" Negi reached out for her out of reflex, but the black orb shrunk and disappeared before she could even utter a word.

"Wow, look at that." Chachazero gasped, sitting on Negi's head. "Every time I see that, it never gets old."

"Chachazero, this is serious!" Negi scolded her.

"Sorry." The puppet apologized.

"Dammit!" Negi slammed his hand against the side of the trolley in frustration, leaving a dent. "Who else has Mana gotten?" _Takamichi is gone...that conversation I had with him in the future is proof of that, which means that Chao is active down here somewhere._ He looked up when he heard Kazumi talking again. "Ah, Kazumi-san! Can't you focus more on helping us?" The young magi whined.

_**"It looks like you're all having trouble, ladies and gentlemen mages!"**_ Chao's booming voice made Negi flinch. He stepped out from behind the trolley to see a monstrous image of Chao, 

donning a cloak, towering over the campus in the sky. His eyes zeroed in on the zeppelin behind the semi-transparent hologram.

"She's there!" Negi concluded. He would have listened to Chao go with her speech a little longer, but Chachazero tapped his head to get his attention. "What happened?"

"We're standing exactly where Shakti was."

"Oh!" Negi realized what she was getting at and pulled back beside the trolley again before hearing a richote from the spot that he was standing on. That was way too convenient. If Mana was serious, she would have taken that shot while he was looking up at Chao's hologram. "She wants my attention."

"You think so?" Chachazero asked, actually blinking to emphasize her intrigue.

"Yeah." Negi nodded, almost shaking his familiar off. He winced when she got a better grip on his hair before continuing with his astute deduction of Mana's behavior. "Don't you think it's odd that she took the shot after you warned me? She probably saw you tap my head, and decided to take the shot to tease me."

"I like the girl's methods." Chachazero chirped.

_You would..._Negi rolled his eyes, forcing a grin. "Let's take her invitation then. If I don't take care of her now that more of my students are going to be taken away, and we can't afford to lose them while there are more of those robots out there." Negi stalked over to the door of the trolley and ducked under Mana's vision over the seats. _Where are you..._Negi's eyes looked over the roof of the buildings at an angle from the trolley to find a figure with a rifle on one of them. His nocturnal sight allowed him to see her perfectly.

"There-

"-you are." Mana said with a grin, taking a shot at the crouched figure in the trolley. "Good thinking, sensei." She watched a blur shoot out one of the trolley windows and kept her sight on it. Negi ran along the side of the building across from the trolley, out of Mana's sight and jumped to the side of another building. This time, however, Mana had a perfect view of him.

"Watch him run." Mana remarked, licking her lips. "He almost gives Misora a run for her money." She took the shot, and Negi ran lower to avoid it before rising back up on the side of the building. When he reached the corner, he grabbed it, swinging himself out of her view again. His tactics were impressive, she had to give him that much. "Though, I do wonder how he was able to become so agile. His moves almost resemble Kaede with the way he runs along those walls. Has he been training with her?"

_Negi appears again_, _landing on the ledge of the building in front of the one she is posted on._

"Fast-"

_Negi sends his staff twirling at her._

"What's this?" Mana took the shot, making the staff vanish.

_That's going to be hard to find later!_ Negi inwardly cried at seeing his staff vanish, however, it served as a distraction to give him enough time to land on the ledge beside Mana.

"Mana, it's over!" Negi declared, pointing a finger at her.

"What are you, a baka ranger?" Mana asked, sweat-dropping.

"Wha-"

"Easy." Mana said, swinging her rifle at his feet, forcing Negi to jump back. This gave her enough time to get to her feet and advance on him, twirling her rifle no differently than if it was a nunchuk. She swung at Negi's head, and he naturally ducked, allowing her knee him in the face. The young magi staggered back before recovering, shaking his head. This young woman didn't use any type of magic, and yet she was such a formidable opponent. For Kaede, and Ku-Fei to see Mana as someone who surpassed them was proof of that. So what was it that gave her such strength?

"What's with the hesitation, sensei?" Mana asked, tucking the butt of the rifle under her arm. "Come at me."

"Master, why don't you let me-"

"No way." Negi cut Chachazero off. "Mana is still one of my students. I won't see any harm come to her."

"That way of thinking won't help you at all." Mana said, clicking her tongue. "Well, if you won't make a move, then I will!" Her piercing eyes took on a frightening gleam, and she rushed forward, clutching her cloak. Negi got ready to defend again, but seconds later everything went black and he felt the butt of Mana's rifle make a clear connection with his jaw. He recovered from it quickly, ripping Mana's cloak away from his face to see two semi-automatic pistols in her hand. She began firing immediately, walking towards him, but Negi dodged each bullet and preformed a shundo to close the distance between them. Mana anticipated this, and when Negi appeared in front of her, she already had her gun pointed at his forehead.

_She's fast!_ Negi thought. She was about to pull the trigger, but her grabbed her by the wrist and pointed her hand up towards the sky before feeling her head bash into his own. He was stunned by the head butt, giving the young woman enough time to grab him by the hair and place the cylinder of her gun under his chin, but Negi kicked her stomach to get her away from him. He rushed towards her while she staggered back to knock her out, but she ducked under his punch and rammed into him with her shoulder. When he was caught off guard, she shoved Chachazero 

off Negi's shoulder before jumping on them. She dropped down to wrap his head between her legs and she twisted her hips with so much force that she sent the boy smashing to the ground painfully.

"Are you taking me seriously, sensei?" Mana asked, sitting on his back as she placed her gun at that back of his head.

"Why do you...ask?" Negi asked her, turning his head slightly so he could see her with one eye.

"Because I expected much more from you." Mana replied with a hint of disappointment. "I guess this is the end."

"Not quite." Mana gasped when she heard the young magi's voice come from behind her. She looked down at the person she was sitting on to find a shadow like figure in Negi's place. After shooting in in the back of it's head, it dispersed into a flock of bats.

_Dark magic?_ Mana thought in wonder. _This is more like McDowell's style though..._

"Interesting." Mana said, turning to face Negi with Chachazero sitting on his shoulder. "Show me what else you've got."

"Mana, why are you doing this anyway? Why are you helping Chao?"

"I'm a hired gun, Negi-sensei. Don't take any of this personally."

"But do you even realize what this may lead to!"

"Of course I do." Mana replied with a grin.

"And yet you're still willi-" Negi stopped when Mana began to chuckle, closing her eyes. "What...what's so funny?"

"No. Sorry, but that was a lie." Mana aimed her gun at him. "Let's stop the lies between us."

"Huh?"

"I sympathize with Chao's ambition. I agreed with her plan and chose to cooperate with her." She opened her eyes again. "I think you can understand what I'm saying. I'm acting out of my own will. I haven't done one thing to be embarrassed about in front of you, however, I still am being paid." Mana pulled the trigger, shooting at Negi, but he dodged to the side. She saw this and holstered her gun before running towards him and doing a summersault over his head, drawing both guns and opening fire. Negi rolled to the side, kicking off into the air so she wouldn't be able to get him on the ground, and did a mid-air shundo to collide into the lovely marksmen from behind. He grabbed both of her wrists to keep her from firing, but she simply let go of both guns and pulled her arms forward to force Negi against her back, then she crossed her arms, and did a mid-air summersault to have Negi dangling over her.

_Not good._ Negi thought, feeling them go faster. Before long Mana gained enough force to send Negi flying off of her, and send him plummeting back down to the roof, spinning.

"She's going to shoot you as soon as you touch down, master!" Chachazero warned him.

"I know!" Negi replied, dizzily. As soon as he did make contact with the floor, bullets rained down upon him like a storm. It took all the concentration he could muster to ensure that none of them even nicked him. _The Cassiopeia won't be able to handle these many bullets at once. I have to catch her off guard somehow._

_"Too late."_ Was all Negi heard before the gun shot. He was suddenly surrounded by a black swirling orb that kept on spinning faster and faster, whipping up a whirlwind. Negi instinctively clutched the Cassiopeia inside his pocket and whispered the activation incantation. Before long everything went white...

"It was a fair ma-"

_**SHWOOM**_

"Huh!" Mana gasped when the orb went in reverse and exploded in a gust of wind. Negi came forth with one hand pulled back for a punch, and landed one directly in her gut, forcing her to double up for air.

"Forgive me, Mana." Negi apologized to her as she fell to her knees. "I never wanted to strike any of my own students." He grabbed her gun from her holster and backed away before aiming it at her.

"To be shot by my own weapon..." Mana choked out, still trying to fill her lungs. "...how embarrassing, and yet...knowing that it's you who is pulling the trigger...fills me with a sort of...pride."

"Excuse me?" Negi blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Just shoot me, sensei." Mana told him, managing a smirk. "I'll see you soon."

"Take care, captain." Negi bide her farewell before pulling the trigger. She was engulfed in a black orb before following the same path that all of her targets did. He just hoped that they wouldn't be too hard on her when they saw her in the future. Then again, this was Mana Tatsumiya that he was thinking about. There wasn't a thing in the world that could faze that woman.

"I like her. She has a lot of potential." Chachazero commented.

"I'm not even going to ask." Negi said, shaking his head. "Now that we have her out of the way, we can head over to meet Chao."

"Time for the last boss, huh?" Chachazero joked.

"That's right." Negi grinned.

_**"Oh, but have you already forgotten about me?" **_The dark voice sent shivers running up Negi's spine. How was it that no matter how far or how long he ran, this woman was always able to find him?

"Dorothy..." Negi turned to find the Dark Mistress standing on the ledge of the roof with her vampiric mantle stretching far into the night, rippling with the evening breeze. The moon worked wonders on her skin, glowing softly, and her eyes were as entrancing as ever, twinkling back at him with their usual hunger. "How were you..."

"Able to find you?" Dorothy finished his question for him. She found that she liked to do that a lot for the young magi. "With that wonderful display of ability you just showcased for me, how would you expect me not to notice you? Earlier it was very difficult to sense you because you kept your aura dormant, but you can't help, but allow it flow when you're in the heat of battle, can you?" She paused for a moment when a few beams whizzed by behind her. She sent one shot in the direction that it came from and moments later there was a thunderous crash and some cheers. She had just taken down one of the gargantuan machines with a simple saggita shot.

_...Unreal... _Negi began to sweat, slowly taking steps away from her in hopes that she wouldn't notice. _I can't afford to have another confrontation with her._

"_Don't try it."_ Dorothy told Negi, narrowing her eyes at him. _"You've already gotten away from me twice, and the first time was out of generosity. This time I will take you with me."_

"I won't." Negi refused. "I won't be taken by you!"

"But you have no choice!" Dorothy yelled back, seemingly agitated by his unwillingness to come with her. She stepped down from the ledge onto the roof and walked towards him. "There is no escape!" She whipped her hand in his direction and there was an explosion of dark flames behind him, keeping him from backing away any further. She directed a fierce glare at him and pointing a finger at him. "If you think about flying away, I'll shoot you right back down."

"God, I hate this bitch!" Chachazero growled. She looked at her master's face and was horrified to find him in a state of panic. His breathing was shallow, and his skin was moist and hot. "H-hey, snap out of it, Master Negi."

"I can't take her on." Negi said in a trembling voice. "She's just too powerful."

"This isn't helping us much though!" The puppet said erratically. When Dorothy was getting too close, she unsheathed her blades and got ready to attack. "You're not touching a hair on Master Negi!"

"Don't be so sure, puppet." Dorothy said darkly. "You don't have the power to keep me from doing _"anything"_ to your master."

"Oh, that's it! NO MERCY!" She was about to launch herself at Dorothy with full force, but a bolt of dark thunder came between Negi and Dorothy.

Dorothy, and Negi looked up to find a dark figure descending towards them with a twilight mantle the seemed to swallow up the night itself. Evangeline made her touchdown gracefully, dispersing the dark flames behind Negi with her landing. She was no longer in her child-like form, but in her adult disguise. It was a sight that both Negi and Dorothy were quite familiar with; however, the emotions that stemmed from such a form were completely different. To Dorothy, it was the last sight she had seen before she was cursed to dwell in darkness for what seemed like an eternity.

"Still trying to make away with my fledgling, I see." Evangeline mused, arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from him?"

"Dark Evangel, what a pleasure to see you in full form again." Dorothy greeted her with a wry look. "For you to go through so much trouble to protect him...he must be dear to you."

"I can't have you take Mahora's mascot. That wouldn't do any good for the campus."

"Maste-I mean, Eva..." Negi trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Get going, boya." Evangeline ordered him. "You take care of Chao, and I'll deal with Dorothy."

"Thanks, Eva." Negi told her before turning to take off. He was tempted to look over his shoulder one last time, but he squashed the temptation and ran to the ledge of the roof before kicking off. He flew towards the lake, avoiding gun fire from Tanaka droids that sensed him flying overhead. He heard the voices of students murmuring with wonder at his flight. He would have to come up with some sort of excuse for all of this later if any of the girls had seen him. Shoving that to the back of his mind, Negi dodged a beam shot by one of the monstrous robots and kicked into full drive, flying towards Chao's zeppelin at full speed to get there in less time. This was it. This was moment that really mattered.

_**"Now then! Our last hero unit, the famous kid teacher Negi Springfield is headed straight for the last boss Chao Lingshen, four thousand meters into the sky of Mahora academy!"**_

"Chao-san...I'm coming for you." Negi narrowed his eyes as the air whipped through his face. He could hear Chachazero crying out with glee at how fast they were flying before she tugged on his hair painfully. "O-ow!" He tried to blink away the tears, crying out, "What was that for?!"

"Just in case you haven't noticed..." Chachazero trailed off, pointing at their unexpected company of flying Tanaka droids that came down upon them like an ominous, dark cloud.

(A.N: I originally intended for Negi to have a showdown against Chachamaru before his engagement with Chao, however, being that it would take away from Chisame's part in the Mahora war, I'll substitute the scene with this traditional "Final obstacle" sequence...)

_Holy-_

_**RATATATATAT!**_

The droids opened fire on the young magi as he tried his best to continue flying upwards, dodging the volley of bullets that came raining down on him. An android surprised him from behind and locked its arms around his shoulders to restrain him, but Negi did a summersault maneuver to send the droid crashing into the wave of bullets that were coming his way. To Negi's surprise it exploded, taking some of the other droids along for the ride in a black swirling orb. Apparently, Chao had these droids specially equipped with time displacement detonation devices.

"Making this a bit more complex!" Negi groaned, furrowing his brows, however, to his growing confusion some of the droids that were coming down after him seemed to just keep on falling after going past him. "What's up...with that-"

"Watch it to the left!" Chachazero warned him quickly.

"OH-" Negi dodged the falling Tanaka droid and blinked. "I still don't understand what's going on!"

"What's not to understand, huh?!" Asuna's voice rang out from a distance. Negi whipped his head in the direction of the voice to find the red-headed knight balancing herself on the tip of a broom being piloted by Misora. She took out two droids at the same time with a single swing from her large sword before Misora had to quickly turn the broom to adjust for Asuna's balance in order to keep her from falling off. "Don't think we'll let you finish this on your own."

"A-Asuna, this isn't exactly easy!" The young nun cried out in panic. "Stop swinging that thing so much!"

"Sword?"

"I don't care what it's called!"

"Asuna...Misora?" Negi said their names questioningly.

_Wings flapped beside him..._

"S-Setsuna?!" Negi gasped after finding the winged young woman flying beside him.

"We'll take care of these guys." Setsuna winked at him. "Lingshen is yours."

"Thank you."

"Would you forget me as well?" Takane's voice called to him.

"Huh?" Negi blinked at the sight of the blonde magistress riding upon one of her winged shadow puppets. Mei was clutching on to her superiors waist for dear life trying her best not to scream at how wildly Takane had them maneuvering around the attacking Tanaka droids. The dark young woman looked to him with a smirk and offered him a sign of victory.

"It's all up to-"

_**SKREEEOOOOOW!**_

Negi and the others looked up to the clouds when the thunderous explosion rocked their ears. Black lightning crackled along the the dark clouds and two rushing figures could be seen clashing with each other before being swallowed up by an explosion of light. The clouds swirled like a large coiling serpent and one of the figures came flying out of it, being chased by the other that seemed to be hell-bent on freezing them with chilling blasts that left white streaks along the dark clouds.

"Dark Evangel..." Takane hissed with narrowed eyes. _You dare to cause such a spectacle at such a time..._

"Who are they?" Setsuna questioned, feeling threatened by their presence.

"Evangeline..." Was all Negi was willing to share. "Chao should be my only focus."

"What?" The swordsman asked, feeling perturbed but when she turned to face the young magi, he was already gone.

_Kotaro appeared from the shadows._

"And don't-"

"He's gone." Setsuna cut Kotaro off before he could make his big entrance.

"...I should have never listened to you girls..." The boy growled.

* * *

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

**_Shifting to the Zeppelin top...._**

**_----------------------------------------------_**

"_Synchronization with the twelve spots of the holy lands on Earth as well as the moon is complete. All that's left is the plaza in front of the World Tree...everything's almost ready."_ Hakase announced to Chao, reading from her hologramic laptop image, which was presented before her eyes. The top of the zeppelin glowed brilliantly with the magical glyphs that Chao had set up to resonate with the holy spots. The ray of light that emanated from the marks seemed to reach for the heavens beyond the ominous clouds.

"Alright...Hakase, begin the final stage of the ceremony with the final incantation." Chao ordered her fellow scientist.

"The complete incantation will take eleven minutes and six seconds. Is that alright?" Hakase asked somewhat nervously.

"It's fine. Begin." Chao nodded her along, but the look that washed across her partner's face didn't seem to be as willing to go on as she was.

"To go through with this plan...is this really the right thing to do, Chao-san?" Hakase asked, her eyes slightly caste downwards.

Chao's eyes narrowed imperceptibly when her vampiric senses sensed a familiar presence rising to meet them. It couldn't be Dorothy or Evangeline because they were currently engaged in combat up in the clouds. That could only mean that Negi was on his way. "Ahh..." Chao's calm expression shifted to something leaning more towards devious. "It seems the one to decide the propriety of this plan will not be me-"

_**"CHAO!"**_ Negi roared, bursting up from the clouds that surrounded the zeppelin in a fashion fit for a demon. Negi's tattered magister cloak billowed behind him like wings as he made his touchdown on the top of the zeppelin. The light from the magical glyphs reflected off the young magi's small glasses making it almost impossible to see his eyes unless he tipped them down the bridge of his nose.

_"-but him."_ Chao finished, gesturing to Negi Springfield with one hand.

"Hakase...you too?" Negi questioned the spectacled girl, making her feel even more guilty than she had already been feeling.

"You finally made it here, Negi-chan." Chao called his attention back to her. "We're finally on the same stage now."

Negi didn't respond to her words, only proceeding to close the distance between them.

"Now then...what will you do, Negi-sensei?"

_Negi stopped..._

_**"This time I'll put a stop to you, Chao-san!"**_ Negi declared, getting in the position to fight her.

_**"Very well!"**_ Chao cried out, ripping her jacket off to reveal her battle-suit underneath._** "Then I too shall prove my beliefs with everything I have!"**_ She assumed a fighting stance to match Negi's and clenched her crackling fist, the Cassiopeia built into her suit seemingly reacting to her actions. "Here I come!" _If I must fight you to save your life then I'll do it...for mother's sake. I won't allow the future to repeat itself_

Negi watched Chao vanish before his eyes just as she did the night before when they faced off on the tower. He only hoped that this confrontation wouldn't hold as many surprises as the last one did. What bothered him, however, was the way Chao's aura felt as she reappeared behind him. It felt so indescribably familiar, almost as if she could have been a doppelganger holding his soul. Negi could not allow his mind to clutter itself, contemplating such matters so he turned the top dial of his Cassiopeia to surprise Chao just as she attempted to deliver an elbow assault to his back, disappearing in the same fashion she did.

"Damn-" Chao cursed, realizing how quickly Negi had caught on to her trick. She felt his presence behind her, clenching her teeth in preparation for what was to come next and Negi did not hesitate much to her shock, swiftly doing to her what she had planned to do to him. His elbow jabbed into her back with considerable force, sending her flying halfway across towards the other side of the zeppelin, however, the scientist was quick to retaliate, reappearing behind Negi yet again as if his attack never landed on her. Negi felt something odd about the air behind him just before the young scientist caught him in one of her time displacement orbs, but the young magi managed to catch her off guard again by nullifying it with a quick twist of the dial. He attempted to hit her dead on with a saggita shot to the back, but Chao reacted quickly, grabbing him by the arm with one hand and jabbing his elbow joint with an open palm to redirect the shot away from her, nearly hitting Hakase.

"Grn!" Negi whipped around with a spinning back hand, but Chao ducked under his rushing arm and tried to counter with a quick jab to his open side. Negi stepped to the side, waiting for her arm to reach it's limit before she could pull it back and locked his left arm around her joint before grabbing her wrist with his other hand to pull her against his back. Chao found her world rushing upside down when Negi threw her over his shoulder and tried to slam her against the floor. The only thing that kept her from being injured was quick thinking on her part, managing to disappear seconds before her body made contact with the floor. Negi's eyes widened when he felt her slip from his hands and he rolled to the side quickly to avoid a crackling punch to his back. He slammed both of his hands against the floor to send himself airborne, avoiding an axe-kick from the Chinese scientist and turned in mid-air to face Chao only to find that she wasn't in his sights. He heard her giggling behind him seconds before she connected a crippling elbow blow to his side that sent him skidding along the roof of the zeppelin with a streak of crackling energy trailing behind his body from the impact.

"Ughn." Negi groaned when he finally stopped rolling, holding his swelling side with one arm as he got up on one knee with the other hand to support him. "That's to be expected...she is the creator of the Cassiopeia after all..." He groaned.

"You're still holding back!" Chachazero complained.

"I'm not trying to kill her!" Negi scolded her.

"Well, she sure doesn't seem to have a problem with hurting you as badly!"

"I can take it though." Negi argued. "I have an advantage."

"Regeneration..." The puppet mused. "Well, do it the way you want to then...just don't let yourself get too beat up or I'll smack some sense into that little girl myself, and I know that you don't want me to handle this situation."

"Deal." Negi nodded.

"Then get yourself beat up already so I don't have to wait." Chachazero cackled.

"Don't sound so sure that you'll get a chance." Negi told the puppet with a grin.

"Like I said, just hurry along." Chachazero waved him off casually. Negi ignored her and got back on both of his feet before performing a shundo to get back to where Chao and Hakase were still maintaining the connection between the zeppelin and the synchronization points on the Earth and the moon. Chao was on the alert for him while Hakase seemed to be in her own world, chanting the final incantation for the forced recognition magic to take it's effect on the world.

"So quick to return?" Chao taunted him with a cat-like grin.

"Stop this Chao! At this rate we'll be fighting at a stalemate. We're both on equal grounds!"

"You think simply because of your sudden mastery over the Cassiopeia that we're equals?" Chao asked with a hint of humor in her voice as her eyes studied him intensely. She seemed to be looking for some sort of flaw; a crack in the egg if one was to speak figuratively. Negi understood the meaning of her gaze, going slightly tense whenever her eyes fell upon the watch that he gripped in his hand. "What is this anxiety that I feel in your voice?"

"Stop the ceremony now!" Negi demanded of her, trying his best to keep her from digging any deeper.

"Is it that you feel you must finish the confrontation quickly?"

"Stop questioning me, Chao-" She was close. He knew it.

"The Cassiopeia...you only have a few more uses left in that damaged watch, don't you?" Chao conclude, crossing her arms. "I can see it crackling from her, Negi-chan. You really must work on hiding your hand or others will read you easily."

_...Bulls-eye..._

"...It doesn't matter." Negi responded darkly, clenching his right hand into a fist. "All I need is one hit to finish this."

"Stop this, stop this." Chao tried to calm him down, gesturing for him to back off with her hands. "By now you must know what my plans are. I'm sure that you've already had conversations with the right people to know my aims, so why fight me? Become my comrade instead. Take my hand and allow us to accomplish this slight justice against this world of evil doers." The young woman stepped towards him, holding out her hand for him to take. "It's the duty of you mages to use your powers for the sake of the world and it's people, right? This is where it all counts! This is where you will be able to fulfill that vow...that responsibility!"

_**"You need to decide who is who or you'll never be able to face anyone. That is the only way to survive in the world. The way you think now will only get you hurt."**_

_"No...I can't accept that." _Negi muttered, backing away from Chao inviting gesture of alliance.

_**"At times like this you can only see things in black and white; otherwise you'll just hesitate and risk the lives of those around you. Lingshen already knows what she wants and she's going to fight for it. Words aren't going to change her mind, and the same could be said of Dorothy. She won't stand around and listen to one of your speeches. She's here for you and she will do everything possible to gain what she desires. So tell me, will you just keep on running away?"**_

"Chao-san...I cannot deny you...however, becoming your ally would never-"

_**Rrrrrrrrumble...**_

"Huh?" Negi and Chao looked up towards the clouds when the sky began to rumble ominously. The force of the presence behind the odd behavior of the clouds seemed to stretch out to the zeppelin as well since the airship began to shake, bringing Hakase out of her incantation.

"That presence..." Chao whispered as her eyes widened with growing fear. "She's finally coming!"

"Who, Dorothy?!" Negi asked, confused.

"Yeah, her!" Chao replied with dripping sarcasm. "Who else would I be referring to?!"

"But Evangeline said that she would-" Negi's words were drowned out by a roar of thunder from above. The clouds swirled above the zeppelin before reaching down towards it like a dark hand trying to grant itself possession of something dear. The light from the magical glyphs on the roof of the airship was swallowed up by the darkness as it poured onto the zeppelin, and Dorothy's familiar laugh chilled Chao and Negi's veins. The Dark mistress materialized from the darkness, arms crossed with a smirk upon her lovely face as she approached the two young vampires in all of her glory. Her long, platinum hair swayed along with the wind when she came to a halt to observe them, saying, "I see that you two haven't managed to hurt each other too seriously. Well, that just makes my job a little harder, doesn't it?"

"Where's Evangeline?!" Negi demanded to know, stepping forward to show that he wasn't afraid of her, but Chao clutched his arm protectively like an older sister trying to pull her brother away from danger. _What are you doing, Chao?_ He inwardly thought, glancing at her for a moment before turning back to regard Dorothy.

"She may be too busy saving herself to be of any assistance to you now, Negi." Dorothy replied cryptically. "With your dear master out of the picture, it should be easy to take you with me now."

"Don't sound so confident, Dorothy." Chao said with a sneer. "I won't let you have him as long as there's a breath in my body."

"Such declarations are dangerous little girl." Dorothy replied, smirking evilly. "Do you really want to confront me again after what happened last time? How can you protect him when you can't even do the same for yourself?"

"Try me..." Chao growled, her voice wavering somewhat. She was in the process of charging Dorothy, but before she could even get a step towards the Dark Mistress, she felt Negi hold her back. Feeling the young teacher's hands around her in such a protective manner filled the Chao with such an odd feeling. She felt as if she could just draw from this warmth forever, and at the same time she was afraid of it because of the possibility that she could still lose it as long as this evil woman still stood before her. She could not relax as long as Dorothy was still alive. At this point she didn't even care for the ceremony. All that mattered now was avenging her mother and father, and it didn't matter to her how much of her own blood she spilled in the process. As long as she was able to take the mistress's wretched life, all else would not matter.

"Let me go!" Chao snapped at Negi. "I have to fight her!"

"You'll get killed if you face her alone! If you're going to fight her, then let me fight with you!"

"N...Negi?" Chao was at a loss for words. "But..."

"But what?" Negi smirked at her. "If you think I'm letting you take all the responsibility for this battle, then you're more of a fool than I am. Besides, I have business that I have to take care of with her as well."

"I know, but...I can't risk it again." Chao spoke to him softly. "I can't lose you again. Not this way."

Negi blinked at her words. "W-what are you talking about?"

"I...I'm your...d..." Chao stopped herself from going any further with that train of thought. She wanted to reveal the truth to him, but she knew that doing so would only be dangerous and the last thing Negi needed on his mind while he faced off against a dark mistress was the information that his own future daughter had been attending his class for two years. Everything would go into chaos if he ever managed to wrap his head around that sort of revelation.

"N-never mind what I was saying." The Chinese scientist told him quickly despite her eyes saying otherwise. Negi could see that there was something eating her up inside. Chao took a deep breath to pace herself and turned back to Negi with one of her fake smiles. "Well...are you ready for this, Negi-chan?"

"I'm ready." Negi nodded before assuming a stance.

"Then, let's rock." Chao said, assuming a stance by his side.

Dorothy saw that they were both ready, and uncrossed her arms. What she saw before her was an interesting scene indeed. To her it was almost haunting to see the present and the future standing side by side. Here, father and daughter would make their final stand against the one woman that destroyed their lives. This is what it came down to after everything she had gone through just to be reunited with him and it...angered her. "Watching the two of you side by side...it really bothers me." Dorothy began, walking towards Negi and Chao. Hakase already did the advised thing and went back into the airship before she could get caught in the crossfire. "Chao Lingshen, my eternal enemy and Negi Springfield, the single most precious person to me, both fighting together against me." Her gold eyes swiveled to Negi and she held her hand out to him, still approaching the duo. "Why do you continue to run away from me? Why do you hate me so? I've asked you nicely to join me, even sparing harm to any of your friends when they stood in my way because I knew that harming them would ultimately hurt you, and yet you refuse me."

"HE isn't going anywhere with you!" Chao growled.

"Silence child!" Dorothy screamed at the scientist, black tears trailing down her cheeks. She seemed to be on the verge of crying, but to their growing disturbance she began to laugh instead. Something snapped inside the mistress and it was showing signs of outward harm. "This...This is a tragedy. I-I asked for one and this is what I get." Dorothy rambled on with a broken smile on her face. She stopped walking towards them and started to pace around like a wolf stalking the 

corners of it's cage. "YOU are the problem!" Dorothy accused Chao, pointing a finger at her with a sneer. "You are the only one standing between me and my darkling!"

"Dorothy-" Negi tried to talk to her, but she held a finger up to silence him.

"Quiet down my love. This will all be over soon." Dorothy told him sweetly.

"The woman has finally lost it." Chachazero commented softly.

"You don't understand! Chao isn't doing all of this and neither is Evangeline!" Negi yelled. "I'm fighting you of my own free will."

"You speak nonsense." Dorothy replied, seemingly untouched by his words. "After I've settled this business, we'll be able to leave together."

"Have you listened to anything we've told you?!" Chao yelled, finally losing her patience. She rushed forward from Negi's side and charged the Dark Mistress with one hand pulled back for a punch. Dorothy dodged the punch effortlessly, ducking under a kick from the scientist with an odd drunken motion. The mistress seemed to be in another world as she dodged all of Chao's attacks, side stepping and twirling as though she was engaged in a dance all by herself. Negi rushed forward to help Chao, starting off with a kick to Dorothy's mid-section, but she merely dipped under the kick and pulled back up to avoid a dropping kick from Chao directed to her face.

"What's going on here?" Negi questioned his partner after watching Dorothy twirl away from them.

"I don't know...she isn't fighting back." Chao replied feeling chills. "I don't know what she's playing at, but we're getting nowhere with this. We'll have to attack her with magic."

"Magic?" Negi turned to Chao quizzically. "How do you know anything about conjuring magic?"

"That doesn't matter right now! Just do it!" Chao ordered.

_"Ras Tel Ma Scir Magister." _Negi chanted his activation key.

_"Rast Teil Mai Magicscir Magister."_ Chao followed in suite, the glyphs on her body resonating with her chanting.

"_Undecim Spīritūs Lūcis Coeuntēs Sagittent Inimīcum! Sagitta Magica! Seriēs Lūcis!"_

_Undēsexāgintā Spīritūs Ignis Coeuntēs... Sagitta Magica Seriēs Ignis!"_

Negi unleashed his light arrows upon Dorothy just as Chao launched her fire arrows at the Dark mistress, making impact at the same time. Dorothy didn't show any signs of getting out of the 

way, being consumed in the maelstrom of destruction. Negi and Chao had to brace themselves to keep from being sent flying away from the titanic explosion. The only reason that the airship stayed intact was due to the magical glyphs that absorbed most of the shock from the explosion of the spells.

_**"Explosions errupt on Chao Lingshen's airship! What epic battle could possible be taking place now?!"**_

"I still sense her." Negi informed Chao.

"Then we can't stop now!" Chao replied, her voice sounding a bit hoarse.

"Chao-"

"Don't worry about me! Just keep on attacking her!" Chao stopped him before he could investigate the issue of her health. Negi saw the glyphs on her body begin to glow as she began her next incantation and looked away before it would distract him any longer.

_"Ūnus Fulgor Concidēns Noctem, in Meā Manū Ēns Inimīcum Edat! Fulgurātiō Albicans!"_ A gust of wind surrounded Chao as she chanted her spell before she unleashed it upon Dorothy. Negi watched as the young woman's entire arm crackled with electricity before she whipped it in the direction of the maelstrom of magic that the dark mistress was engulfed in. Multiple thunderbolts were discharged from her fingertips, wrapping around the twister that whipped up around Dorothy before zeroing in on her like vicious serpents. Negi saw Chao get thrown back after the shockwave from the explosion hit both of them, and ran to her to support her in his arms.

"Chao, you've got to stop this! I don't know what's going on with your body, but conjuring magic is obviously making you feel worse!"

"No...she's still breathing!"

"You can't be serious!" Negi gasped in disbelief, turning his head to regard the twisting storm that took the place Dorothy once stood.

"Don't stop now, Negi. You have to continue attacking her." Chao pleaded him, gripping his arm. "Let me go. I'll recover soon enough."

"...Alright." Negi nodded, laying her on the he was sure that she was settled, he rushed forward into the twister, forcing himself through the ferocious shockwaves that pounded forth from the eye of all the pandemonium. _Kenotētos Astrapsatō de Temetō! Dios Tukos!"_ A large thunderbolt touched down in the middle of the magical twister, sending sparks crackling all along the roof of the airship. Negi looked over his shoulder quickly to see Chao getting up on one knee, and turned back to face the maelstrom when he still sensed Dorothy's aura flowing strongly.

"How powerful is she?" Negi questioned the storm grimly. _Perhaps my spells alone aren't enough. I have to turn to the spells that Evangeline taught me if I'm going to make a dent on Dorothy._ He looked up to the dark sky as if waiting for an answer from his master before turning back to the matter at hand. There was just no way that she could still be alright after everything he and Chao hit her with. "I've got to end it now!"

"That's more like it!" Chachazero exclaimed.

"Huh?" Chao blinked when Negi's dark aura swirled around him furiously. His hair and his magister cloak whipped up along with the dark gust as it surged up into the sky, and a flock of bats came down upon him, transforming his outfit into something more appropriate for his title. His mage cloak was transformed in a vampiric mantle that stretched out behind him like two long, bat wings. "Is he tapping into his dark side?"

_Wait no...this is something much different._

_"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac."_Negi chanted, feeling the air around him feel as if it was resonating with Dorothy. Unfortunately, calling upon his latent power with Evangeline's release seemed to finally get a negative reaction out of Dorothy. The maelstrom twisted upon itself and dissipated, alerting Chao and Negi. In the middle of it all stood Dorothy surrounded by her dark miasma. She shrieked loudly and the darkness at her feet rose high into the air, transforming into something hideous. The dark creature resembled Dorothy in a way with it's curvaceous figure and it's long dark hair, however, it lacked any facial features with the exception of it's large grinning mouth, lined with razor sharp teeth. Dark red eyes covered it's entire body, and a large gold eye looked down at them from the creatures chest, regarding Negi and Chao narrowly.

"I didn't count on this happening." Negi squeaked, feeling all of the build from before leave him.

"She's finally showing her true colors!" Chao cried out. "We need to go all out now!"

"You mean...we weren't before?!" Negi asked, regarding Chao with an expression that screamed, _"How the heck did you recover so quickly?!"_

"Let's go!" Chao ignored him, her fists crackling with the energy from her suit. Tentacles came wriggling out from the shadows around Dorothy, rushing after them and they both made their move. Negi slid under one of the tentacles that tried to bind around his waist and sliced it in half with a swift rising kick before continuing his run to Dorothy. Chao on the other hand went for the larger target, running on top of the tentacles that came down to crush her. Before long the tentacles were so overwhelming that the zeppelin looked like a snake pit.

"Dorothy!" Negi called the attention of the dark mistress, standing in the shadow of her monstrous form. She reacted to his call, smiling at him before charging at him, flexing her claws. She made the first attack, slashing at his chest, but he kicked away from her, countering with a saggita shot. It made impact with her chest, causing her to stagger back, but other than that, it didn't seem to have any other effect. Dorothy rushed forward again with a roundhouse kick that struck Negi across the jaw. When she saw him stunned, she whipped a hand in his direction and 

a tentacle came wriggling out of her arm, slamming into Negi's chest. The young magi was sent flying backwards, but he stopped himself in mid-air and came back at her with an open palm. Dorothy dodged to the side, and attempted to grab him by the neck, but Negi veered her hand away, forcing her arm to the side with a parry of his right hand and countered quickly with a knee to her stomach. She doubled up, staggering to the side, but Negi wouldn't allow her to recover, going in for an axe kick to her mid-section-

"Wha?" Negi flinched when he felt the leg he was about to kick the mistress with get pulled back. He glanced behind him to find a shadow copy of the mistress holding him by the ankle with a subtle smirk on her face. "Another-huh?" Negi tensed when he felt another hand wrap around his right arm. He looked to the side to find yet another shadow copy restraining him, but his troubles didn't end there. Another shadow copy rose from the darkness under his other foot to wrap her arms around it, keeping him from moving completely. "N-not good!"

_Negi heard a longing sigh..._

"Huh?" Negi turned his attention back to the true Dorothy to find her standing right in front of him. The hungry look on her face terrified him.

"Negi..." She whispered his name as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm so thirsty."

_Oh no! I almost forgot about that!_ Negi inwardly cried out in horror, struggling to break free from the shadow copies grips. _This is it now! She's going to suck my blood! _

Dorothy was near to reaching her target, but Negi's savior came in the form of Chao dropping down behind the dark mistress, hanging from one of the dark tentacles that the grotesque creature attempted to bind her with. "Hands off of him!" Chao demanded as she delivered a crackling punch to the mistress's back.

"Hagh!" Dorothy fell against Negi after Chao struck her, coughing out dark blood. "...You're," Dorothy whipped around furiously and head butted the Chinese scientist in the face. "Such a thorn in my side! That ends now!" The mistress roared, kicking Chao's stomach.

"I think not..." Chao grunted, feeling the strength in her legs gradually leaving her. She smiled back at the mistress, licking the blood from her mouth. "As long as Negi is in danger...it'll never end."

"Chao!" Negi reached out for her, trying to break free from the shadow copies, but Dorothy gestured to him and tentacles came binding him from the darkness, making it even more difficult for him to struggle. "No! Let...me go!"

"Nuh-uh." Dorothy told him with a wink. "You just stay there and wait for me."

"Dammit! Chao, run!"

"Not without you!" Chao refused, rushing forward to fight Dorothy, but the mistress caught her by the neck before she could do anything.

"Gotcha." Dorothy smirked sadistically.

"No!" Negi cried out, but Dorothy walked away from his view with Chao, keeping him from seeing anything else. "Chao, I'm coming! Just hold-ungh-on!" He pulled and tried to jerk free from the tentacles and the shadows, but no matter how much he struggled it all seemed to be futile. _This is getting me nowhere! Think, think, think! What would master do in this situation?! _

_"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac."_ Negi concentrated deeply, closing his eyes, but a sudden pop of slime got his attention. He opened his eyes to find a person rising up from the darkness before him. She pulled herself out slowly, darkness dripping from her blonde hair like blobs of black goo. It wasn't until she squeezed the dark substance out from her hair and smiled at him that he realized who this woman before him was.

"Eva-san!" Chachazero got ahead of him, however. "What the hell were you doing down there?!"

"The brat attempted to absorb me." Evangeline answered in a labored voice. "She lured me into a trap up in the clouds, and the next thing I remembered was hearing the boya's voice chanting my release key." She stopped her explanation after hearing one of Dorothy's shadow clones hiss at her, and cocked her head to the side curiously when she realized that they were holding Negi in place. "Oh, I see...you got caught." The Undying wizard approached him with a limp and gripped him by the shirt before ripping him free from the clutches of the shadow clones and tentacles. When she let go of him, she leaned against one of the large tentacles behind her, breathing heavily.

"Eva-"

"Stay away from me." Evangeline held out a hand to stop him from getting any closer. She coughed out some black slime, holding her stomach in pain. "She's still trying to tear me up from the inside."

"What am I supposed to do without you? She's got Chao!"

"Kill her." Evangeline replied simply.

"Y-you make it sound so easy."

"Oh, but it is." Evangeline replied, coughing again. "No matter how powerful we all are...we still suffer an equal weakness as vampires. Nothing can ever change that, not even a curse."

"What's that?" Negi asked desperately. "I need to know quickly! Chao could be dead by now!"

The look in the young magi's eyes made Evangeline smile. "Well, I guess there is no stopping you now. You're actually willing to kill her to save your student."

"I-I...have to."

"Then receive your weapon." Evangeline breathed out, holding out her hand. Negi stepped out of the way and a dark blade materialized from her hand. Evangeline stood up from the tentacle with a grunt, plunging the end of her blade into the darkness. "Pierce Dorothy's heart with this blade and she'll go down easily. I tried to do it before, but she absorbed me when I was close enough to be caught. The only way you'll be able to slay her is if you catch her off guard." Evangeline smirked at him. "Something I'm sure you'll be able to do easily."

_Evangeline grabbed his hand and placed it around the hilt of her blade._

"This is your fight to finish."

"Evangeline..." Negi spoke her name hesitantly.

"Now finish it!" Evangeline ordered him fiercely. "Every second is precious!"

"Y-yes, master!" Negi nodded quickly. He pulled the sword from the floor and rushed to where he felt Dorothy's presence.

"And don't hurt yourself with that sword!" Evangeline called out to him. "It's made from silver!"

"In the end you proved to be useless to me." Dorothy told Chao, increasing her grip on the scientist's neck. "You couldn't even finish the incantation for the forced recognition magic to take effect. You really do disappoint me."

"...I'm pleased with that." Chao mocked her, doing her best to force a grin.

"Just like your mother until the end." Dorothy growled. "This is the end, however. With Negi in my possession, your existence is nothing more than a line erased from history. Don't worry though...if you beg hard enough, I may consider naming our daughter after you." Dorothy smiled manically. "Does that sound appealing to you?"

"I wouldn't think so confidently about the future...bitch!" Chao spat out before kicking the mistress in the chest with as much force as she could muster. She got the desired effect, breaking free from Dorothy's grip, but the mistress's nails left deep cuts in her neck. She had to cover the bleeding wounds quickly with both hands. "Dammit..." She rasped, doing her best to put some distance between her and the gasping mistress. "...How long before it'll heal?"

"I've...been...far too...nice to you!" Dorothy snarled between breaths. She regained her composure before stalking towards the injured girl, flexing her hands into claws. When she was standing directly over Chao, she raised one hand in the air in preparation to impale her. "PERISH!"

__

_**"DOROTHY, DON'T!"**_

_"N-Negi?!" _Dorothy's sadistic face changed to complete shock when she heard the young teacher's voice. She whipped around, away from Chao and dropped her hands at her sides immediately. This felt so mortifying for her to be caught by him in the middle of the act of killing a person. She didn't want him to see her as a murderer. "I-I can explain-I-I'm so sorry! I-I just-"

_**SHINKT!**_

"...Huh?" Dorothy was so surprised that her body wasn't able to register the pain of Evangeline's blade running through her chest. She looked down at the silver sword, dripping with her dark blood and coughed, gurgling her own blood at the same time. "N...Negi?" The Dark Mistress looked at him with wide eyes. "You've...stabbed me..."

"I'm sorry!" Negi apologized without thinking. He wanted to pull the blade out from her but his arms seemed to be locked. His entire body was just completely frozen, unwilling to respond to any commands from his mind. He didn't expect this to be so simple. He didn't think that Dorothy would allow him to impale her so easily. "I'm so sorry..." He tensed when the mistress gripped the blade with both of her hands, the silver eating away at her nocturnal flesh with a burning hiss.

"No..." Dorothy pulled herself against the sword to close the distance between them. "Don't apologize..." She choked out, her face contorted in pain. She did her best to offer him a reassuring smile, but the pain was so much that all she could do was manage a smirk. "I don't hate...you for this."

"Negi! Don't...let her touch you!" Chao cried out weakly, but Negi didn't seem to hear her.

"What...do you mean?" Negi asked her in a cracking voice. "I'm sorry...there must have been another way to put an end to this...some other solution beside this one." He mumbled, bowing his head, but Dorothy placed a hand under his chin to raise it. The pain in her face was no longer there. It was replaced with a serene look that somehow felt as if it always belonged on her beautiful face. He just couldn't relate her to the blood thirsty mistress that he was fighting moments ago.

"Negi...you were scared." Dorothy cooed to him. "I'm ashamed of myself for turning to such vicious deeds to claim you. This is my fault...for forcing you to go through such lengths to stop me, but...somehow I feel better. The pain that I felt before..." Dorothy gestured to her chest with a weak sigh. "...It has left me. I can no longer...feel the curse's hold on me any longer. Perhaps death was my answer all along..."

"Dorothy!" Negi cried out when she went limp on the blade. He pulled it away from her body, and dropped the sword before catching her with his quick reflexes. He got down on one knee carefully and gasped softly when he felt the mistress wrap her arms around his back. By holding her away from him, he could see that she was still conscious. "Dorothy...can you still hear me?"

"It's a pity..." Dorothy chuckled. "You hold me this way just as I am about to die...it's a shame that you couldn't hold me like this earlier."

_She can't hear me..._ Negi thought sadly, tears coming down his face.

"But I wouldn't have myself dying any other way." Dorothy smiled up at him. "In your arms...I'd die without any regrets in this world."

"Why...must you say these things now?" Negi asked sadly, knowing that she couldn't hear him.

"I'll always love you, my darkling..." Dorothy clutched him tighter. "Soon...again...soon..." With those final words her hands lost their grip on him and she went limp in his arms. Negi instinctively held her against him tightly. He didn't know why, but for some reason she suddenly felt like the most precious person in the world to him. Away from his mind were all of the terrible things she had done. In their place all he saw was the final look on her face before she died. It was just...beautiful...

_**"...Just beautiful..."

* * *

**_

**_[F] {V} [A]_**

* * *

_**[...Two Days Later...]**_

_**______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
**_

_**___________________________________________________________**_

**_Evangeline's Residence...._**

**_--------------------------------------------_**

"So you're finally running back to Kagurazaka and Konoe, eh?" Evangeline asked Negi with her hands on her hips as the young magi finished placing the last of his magical artifacts into the traveling chest that she allowed him to borrow from her. She had to admit, looking around at the room that it looked pretty depressing without any of his stuff lying around to make it whole. In a way the chibi-vampire felt as if she was losing something.

"Yeah." Negi replied to her question uneasily. Ever since he set foot in the house with Chachamaru, Evangeline had been hounding him about the time he would move out. He wasn't sure if she was doing this to hurry him out of the house, or if she was just getting in her last few minutes of tormenting him before he was finally out of her residence. Either way, all he knew was that she was on him everywhere he went. She even stood next to the bathroom door, talking to him when he had to make a short break on packing. "The deal was that I moved back in with 

them after the tournament was done, but there was just so much trouble afterwards that...you know..." He trailed off for Evangeline to pick up.

"Yeah, I know." Evangeline nodded with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You don't have to seem so eager though."

"E-eager?" Negi flinched at her words, sweat-dropping. "What would ever give you the impression that I was eager to leave?"

"Well, you didn't even bother to have one final drink with me before you rushed up her to get packing."

"How was I supposed to know that you wanted a final drink with me? Besides, you act like this is going to be the final time I ever come around here." Negi closed the traveling chest shut and placed it on the dresser. "Are you sure you're not just feeling a little sad that I'm leaving?"

"Um, ahem...watch your tone boya." Evangeline said, doing her best not to blush. "Why would I feel anything just because you were returning to those girls, eh?" The vein that was popping out on her forehead told Negi that he was treading on thin ice. He just had to think about the things he said before they came out of his mouth.

"Because you enjoy my company?" Negi decided to be bold one final time.

"...Don't flatter yourself." Evangeline mumbled. "I could care less about your company."

"Eva-san is lying!" Chachazero teased from the top of the dresser.

"Shaddup!" The vampiress hissed at the puppet. "Having you out of the house is gonna be a blessing."

"Well then," Negi picked Chachazero up from the dresser and placed her on his shoulder before pocketing the traveling chest. "I should get to heading back home." He said, heading out of the room. He didn't take notice to the expression that flashed across Evangeline's face when he no longer referred to her residence as his home. He descended the flight of stairs leading to the first floor to find Chachamaru waiting for him by the door with a small bag in her hand.

"This is for you, Negi-kun." The gynoid maid told him, holding the gift bag out to him.

"Thanks, Chacha-chan." Negi thanked her, causing her to blush at the way he addressed her. Chachazero on the other hand was displeased with this recent development. That was originally his name for her. What the heck was he doing giving that name to her younger sister?! "Um, what is it?" Negi asked Chachamaru when he found two bags with crimson powder and leaves mashed together in them.

"Tea." Chachamaru answered him. "Of course, if you wish to have fresh batches, you can always come back and have a drink here."

"Of course I will." Negi told he cheerfully. "Thank you."

"There is no need." Chachamaru assured him. "It is my pleasure to be of service to you. I only wish that your time with us could have been longer."

"Me too...but..."

"Yes, I know. I'm sure that Konoe and Kagurazaka would wish to have you back quickly." Chachamaru reasoned.

"Would you two stop this?" Evangeline stomped on their little moment. "Let him out, will you?" She ordered Chachamaru.

"Yes, mistress." Chachamaru bowed hesitantly before doing as she was asked. The cold air from outside seemed to chill the entire room as it entered even though none of the room's occupants were physically capable of feeling it. There was one thing that Negi, and Evangeline had to admit, however.

"Nice moon out." They both said at the same time. They blinked at each other after realizing what they did, and Evangeline led Negi out on the porch. The young magi walked to the wooden rails and leaned against if for a moment before turning around to regard his master.

"Um...Eva-chan." Negi addressed her uneasily.

"Yeah, boya?"

"I just wanted to say that I had a good time staying with you." Negi admitted. "It was kind of fun actually."

"Is that so?" Evangeline asked with her usual grin, placing her hands on her hips. "That's nice to hear. Are you trying to secure a place here?"

"N-no, it's nothing like that." Negi assured her nervously.

_You know, all you really have to do is order him to stay around a little longer and you wouldn't have to say good-bye. _A voice whispered to Evangeline from the back of her mind. _Think about it. You know that there was more to having him stay in your house that just training him. You found yourself growing attached to him so you wanted him to be near. Now you have the chance to have him live with you permanently. Why not take the chance?_

"Heh, I know." Evangeline thought aloud, confusing Negi, Chachazero and Chachamaru. When she caught them staring at her, she narrowed her eyes at them and asked, "What?!"

"Nothing!"

"Nada."

"Nothing Mistress."

"Whatever…" Evangeline grumbled. "Anyway, just because you aren't living here anymore doesn't mean that you're off from training. I still expect you to be here every night as usual, and don't be late because I'll just make it harder on you."

She was back to her old self again although Negi would be one to wonder if that was something to be relieved about. Well, it was much better than being forced into a kiss by her. "Oh yeah…look, Negi." Evangeline crossed her arms and directed a playful look at him. "Remember, I don't care how you look at these words in the future, take them any way you like, but you always have a second home here with me. Is that understood? That means that I expect you to visit every now and then for more than just training."

"…Thanks Eva." Negi was shocked to hear such kind words come from her mouth. He must have stumbled across some alternate reality. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, stupid. Just get going before that red-head of yours starts whining." Evangeline replied.

"Alright." Negi nodded. He stepped onto the rail and kicked off, flying into the evening sky.

"_Heh…I'm getting a bit soft…"_

_After the end of the festival the magic ministry started to get pretty jittery over what had taken place at the campus. Gandolfini's reports of Chao's plans to reveal the magi world to the mundanes struck up some panic and the fact that we had allowed her to return to her time before she could be apprehended caused some problems for the headmaster. He managed to settle things rather smoothly, however. In fact, he somehow managed to convince Gandolfini to overlook the fact that Evangeline was active during the final day of the festival. I'm not sure how he was able to do it, but there hasn't been any recent talk about her involvement._

_Things are beginning to return to how they were before this all happened, and some faces are taking their leave as well…_

"Negi." Takane approached Negi at the gate of the campus with Mei by her side. She had on her Ursula campus uniform with her usual cap while Mei was dressed in casual clothes. She didn't seem too pleased about leaving the campus, but it appeared she didn't have much of a choice.

"So you two girls are leaving?" Negi asked despite knowing the answer. Where ever Gandolfini went they followed.

"That's right." Mei answered dejectedly. "I really like this campus and everyone we've met, but business comes first." Her words sounded fit for coming out of Takane's mouth surprisingly enough.

"Yeah." Takane nodded. "After his whole talk with the headmaster, Gandolfini doesn't seem too comfortable about staying around here any longer. Needless to say, that means that we can't stay along anymore either." The blonde magistress sighed, her eyes drooping. "So this means good-bye."

"I understand." Negi nodded. "You'll come to visit won't you?"

"Of course!" Mei answered quickly before turning to her superior. "We will, won't we?"

"Why, of course, Mei!" Takane replied, suddenly perking up. She turned back to Negi with a mischievous grin on her lips and placed her hands on her hips haughtily. "If you think I'm going to just let you cause trouble around here with that demon girl then you're wrong!" Takane declared. "You better be on your best behavior sensei because I'll be coming to check on you every now and then."

"You're welcome to check up any time you want."

"Y-you mean it?" Takane asked rather timidly, her attitude from moments ago whisked away with the wind.

"You don't have to ask." Negi assured her.

"Then don't go disappearing on me the day I do come."

"I won't."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

_The girls still haven't been able to get over all of the events of the festival. The chaos that took place still lingers on in their minds, and they constantly bombard me with questions every moment they get alone with me. Chao's absence has left a big impression on them as well. Ku-Fei seems to be affected by it the most though. Now that I think back on her, I'm beginning to miss her very much as well. Sure, she did cause me a lot of trouble during her final days with us, but…I felt a weird connection with her that just haunts me…_

"That's the end of today's lesson!" Negi announced after Sakurako was done reading the last paragraph. The girls all groaned at his words, but he merely smiled back at them. They were always like this after every lesson. He figured it was because they didn't have as much fun with their other teachers. _Which is pretty understandable considering how young I am and how old the other teachers are. It's much harder for them to misbehave in the other classes. _The young teacher inwardly deflated.

"Won't you be holding any after school help today, sensei?" Makie asked much to Negi's discomfort. Spending time with the energetic gymnast was something he had been trying to avoid as of lately, but for some reason she seemed set on remedying that.

"That would be appreciated." Yue agreed.

"Y-yes." Nodoka nodded her head as well.

"It would help a bit." Chisame mumbled from her seat in the back, surprising most of the girls since she wasn't usually one to participate actively in Negi's lessons, much less interact with him in any way.

_Geez, you too Chisame?!_ Negi inwardly wanted to bash his head against the chalk board. Luck just wasn't with him today, and Evangeline could tell. She was snickering to herself in the back at her disciple's apparent distress.

"Um, sure." Negi answered Makie hesitantly. "I'll be holding extra help."

"Yay!" Makie cheered out childishly.

"Yeah…yay…" Negi sighed under his breath. _Please don't let anything happen tonight, oh please don't._ "Well, you girls are all dismissed." At his words all of the girls got their things together and started walking out the door. Negi realized that Ku-Fei was still absorbed in her reading, which was an abnormality in itself and decided to see what was going on. "Um, master Fei?" He called her attention, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Huh?!" The girl flinched upon being touched; managing a grin when she realized Negi was the owner of the hand on her shoulder. "Yes?"

"Class is over." Negi informed her with a worried look. "Are you alright?"

"Ah, yes!" Ku-Fei answered unconvincingly. She gathered her things into her bag quickly, laughing the entire time and stood up from her seat. "I see you tomorrow, Negi-sensei!" She told him, heading for the door.

"Alright, but I'm holding extra help after school-"

_She was out the door…_

"-if you're interested…" Negi finished, feeling a bit foolish for continuing after she was already gone. "Ku-Fei…"

"Hey, Master Negi." Chachazero called to him from her seat on the desk. Lately the girls didn't really mind that he had the puppet sitting on top of his desk for the past classes. Negi just didn't feel right keeping her in his desk drawer anymore, plus having his things passed to him by a tiny hand really started to bother him.

"Yeah, Zero-chan?" Negi replied, fixing the chairs under their assigned desks.

"Looks to me like the chairman is still down about, Chao-san's, leave."

"Yeah. Seems like it."

"I'm surprised she hasn't gotten over it yet. She's usually the first to forget about anything."

"Well, in this case it's hard for her to let go." Negi replied.

_After what happened between me and Dorothy, I've been trying my best to get stronger. I know now that even at my present level I don't compare to any of the mistresses that Evangeline has spoken to me about. I can't allow myself to stay weak, not after the losses I have experienced. I know that there could have been a way around killing Dorothy. It could have been avoided, but I had to take the straight route because of my weakness. I've been doing training under Setsuna and Kaede in hopes that I'll broaden my skills much like dad did when he was younger. Maybe by becoming stronger, I may be able to save my enemies as well._

"_Too slow!"_ Setsuna snapped at Negi, stopping her shinai just above the young magi's head. Negi barely had his own wooden sword in the position to defend against her attack. "I expect so much more from you, Negi-sensei." The swordsman said in disappointment, shaking her head.

"Aw, go easy on him, Secchan!" Konoka called out to Setsuna from her seat on the shrine steps beside Asuna, and Kotaro.

"B-but ojou-sama, I can't go easy on him!" Setsuna resisted the urge to flail her arms. "Negi-sensei must learn the proper way! If that means that I must be hard on him, then that is what I shall do."

"She's just being a big meanie isn't she, Negi-kun?!" Konoka asked the young teacher much to Setsuna's distress.

"N-no, I'm fine." Negi answered the bubbly girl. "I don't want Setsuna to go easy on me. If she does then I can't expect to get the full learning experience."

"That and the demon girl has put you through enough hell to turn you into a masochist!" Kotaro joked, but he behaved well when Chachazero pointed one of her blades at his neck. "Um..but that's cool..you know?" The dog demon stumbled over his last words for the sake of his own life.

"Don't listen to this brat, Negi!" Asuna called to Negi, jamming a hand right into Kotaro's face. "Train hard, kid!"

"Thanks." Negi nodded, massaging the back of his neck. All of this talk was really beginning to distract him. He wondered if allowing Asuna to bring the others along was really such a good idea. Kotaro wasn't really doing much other than throwing in stupid comments and Konoka actually seemed to be making Setsuna nervous.

_What's up with that anyway?_ Negi thought, watching the swordsman kick at a rock on the ground. _She's so tense whenever Konoka is around._

"Um…" Setsuna blinked in embarrassment when she noticed Negi looking at her. "My apologies! Shall we start from the top then?" She asked, getting into the proper stance with her shinai.

"Sure." Negi nodded. _Although I would feel so much more comfortable with my staff. Man, ever since I lost it in my duel with Mana, I haven't been able to find it at all!_

_I guess the real challenge in my life after the Mahora festival passed was finding my staff. I tried searching around the area that I engaged Mana in combat, but it was nowhere to be found. I'm seriously thinking that maybe someone just found it and…I don't know…took it. Well, it turned out later that I was right about that, but the person who took it wasn't exactly the everyday student that I thought it would be. To make matters worse, she called me out later that night to return it to me…_

"So Mahora sure looks different around this time, huh?" Chachazero asked her master from the top of his head. The stair steps leading up to the Tatsumiya shrine looked more like a path to death around night time rather than the path to enlightenment as it was intended to be. The trees that covered the mountain path didn't look too inviting either.

"Yeah, it sure does." Negi answered grimly. "Receiving an invitation from Captain Tatsumiya would do that to the atmosphere of this place."

"So she was keeping your staff from you this entire time?"

"Kind of seems that way." Negi replied, sweat-dropping. "I just don't understand why she would want my attention like this."

"Maybe she wants revenge?" Chachazero suggested, stopping Negi dead in his tracks. That could have been possible considering the outcome of their last meeting, but Mana wasn't the vengeful type, right? It just didn't seem like her way of approaching things.

"Zero-chan…a peaceful scenario never runs through that mind of yours, huh?"

"Nope."

"Well, at least I can count on your honesty." Negi sighed. He took the final step into the shrine to find the candles lit in one of the small houses in front of the main temple. Negi made out the silhouette of a sitting figure behind the paper thin doors of the house, and called out the lovely marksman's name.

"You came." Mana's voice carried forth from behind the door like a chilling breeze. She stood up and opened the door to reveal herself in one of her combat uniforms with Negi's staff strapped to her back. "I knew I could count on you to show up."

"So what is this about?" Negi asked nervously. With the way she was dressed, she didn't seem to just have a talk in mind for the evening.

"Don't sound so nervous, Negi." Mana said softly. "All I want now is your company on this particular night." Mana looked up at the full moon in the sky before looking back at him with a smirk. "_Beautiful moon out, hmm?"_

_**

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_**THE END

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_My thanks to everyone who has stayed with this story until the very end. I only hope that I will be able to bring you an equal if not even better experience with the sequel. (Still in the works.)_

_We've closed the book on that volume. Negi has finally come to the end of his first encounter with the vampire underworld in the form of Dorothy Summers, the most twisted adversary he has ever come across. Her final words do sow seeds of confusion in the young man, but he will only come to understand them when the time comes. _

_Anyway, leaving the final chapter on that note, Mana is shaping up to play a mysterious role in Negi's next adventure, but that's to be expected. Her invitation does hold more than it would appear and you can count on Chao having a hand in it. Even though she won't play a physical part in the world of FVA anymore, her influence will haunt Negi. So now is the time for the blood to flow, and the fangs to tingle. _

_Dark mistresses will finally make their true appearances in the series, and Negi's wits and survival skills will be put to the test. The vice continues…_

_Um…Character info for the next chapter is still in development. I just hope you guys can depend on your imaginations for a little while longer.

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_**And now it's time for: Question Time! **_

_ A.N: I'm gonna copy a paste some of these questions, kay? Blame it on laziness…_

_**Q: **__Eva was bitten by some vampire, when she was young (around 14 i guess), who turned her into a vampire. Since then she hasn´t grown any bit, she is still small, right?  
Negi, was bitten by Eva, she turned him into a vampire, and then after his traveling (FVA), when he was away (for a few month i guess), he has grown and looked a lot more like his father ("teenage version of Nagi", chapter 22) and he even took one of these (anti)aging-pills to become younger, how can that be?_

_**A:**__ In the series Negi uses an illusionary spell to look older just like Evangeline does in the original series. He needs to play the part of aging in order to keep the girls from knowing about his true nature._

_**Q:**_ _Is Negi going to be possessed by Dorothy? And is that why his vampiric abilities are more potent even without drinking eva's blood? What's Negi's power level compared to the cannon? is he much stronger than his non vampiric counterpart_

_**A:**__Dorothy possessed Negi during the tournament for a few matches. That was the reason behind his odd behavior and his power boost. As for the reason behind his potency, he's Negi Springfield! He's got to have something special about him for being the main character or the story will be boring. In terms of power, he goes far beyond his canon counterpart in this point of the storyline._

_**Q:**_ _When Negi bites Evangeline, if he does, will he bite her on the neck? i'd be interested in her reaction and the circumstances._

_**A: **__A bite to the neck would seem appropriate for that sort of situation, but what would happen if I decided to be a little more creative than that?_

_**Q: **__u mentioned lycan. so is there a possibility that we'll be exposed to lycan society and maybe even demons? I kno that demon is already there, but now that things are different, i wonder how u're going to do things. Oh, and is Eva goign to gain some sort of mobility freedom in the sequal? cuz if i remember correctly... she did appear suddenly in a ball that Negi finds himself stuck in... That is an intriguing issue that i like to kno. And just so u kno... Nagi's side-quest sounded kind of bad._

_**A: **__Lycan society will make an appearance in the sequel as well as other supernatural races…demons included. Evangeline's mobility will be pretty limited in the sequel as well. Her mysterious appearance at the ball during Negi's meeting with Lucinda the Headmaster's doing. Oh yeah ,and the Nagi side-quest…well… you'll see what I mean when I get it typed._

_**Q: **__ and if is the overall aim of the original partners? Are they merely going to be cast aside?  
keeping in mind that Asakura has a pactio now in the manga will she ever get it now?_

__

_**A: **__The "White wings" will still make a part in the sequel, causing all sorts of mayhem in the vampire underworld when Negi mistakenly gets them involved. As for Kazumi…she'll get something alright.

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**_[F] {V} [A]_**

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